Angels Sing
by Calico West
Summary: On Christmas Eve, the dangers that come in winter threaten to forever change life at the Sherman ranch, with Slim and Jess getting caught right in the middle of it. Merry Christmas everyone!
1. Chapter 1

**Angels Sing**

Chapter One

The Wyoming Territory winter spread its chill over the Sherman ranch as it welcomed the heart of the season of celebration, Christmas. Slim Sherman and his ranch partner, Jess Harper, had already spent a couple of Christmases together, one cold, one warm, but this year they were welcoming two additions to the family festivity, Daisy Cooper and Mike Williams, and it had long become clear as the temperatures continued to drop that this year would remain blanketed in white for the holy day.

"It sure is a different view than last year at this time," Slim stepped out of the barn with Jess by his side.

"Yeah," Jess agreed, looking all around them at the snow covered hills and lopsided snowman that stood next to the house. "It was so warm and dry last Christmas Eve that the stages were still running and this year there hasn't been one through here since the day before Thanksgiving."

"It's nice though," Slim folded his arms over his chest, taking in the white, although not too deep, snow scenery that surrounded them. "Ma always said it wasn't Christmassy without snow."

"That's funny," Jess laughed, "Ma always said it wasn't Christmassy without me getting into trouble."

"Didn't that happen every day?" Slim asked with a smirk.

"Of course," Jess nodded, "only Christmas made a kid like me all the more merry, if you get my drift."

"Slim! Jess!" Daisy called from the kitchen door, "won't you come in for a cup of coffee and some fresh gingerbread before you go to Laramie?"

"Be right there, Daisy," Slim answered in return.

"You don't have to ask me twice," Jess smiled, already thinking about the sweet smell of molasses that would fill his senses when he took the first bite. He could taste it even then as his drawn up cheeks tingled with the cold.

"Jess," Slim motioned with his hand at the team of horses in the corral that waited to be hitched to the wagon. "Robin and Clem need to be hitched up first."

"All right," Jess lightly slapped Slim on the back. "Don't dawdle or I'll eat your share of the gingerbread."

"That's not exactly what I had in mind," Slim caught Jess by the arm before he strode too far towards the house. "You get Robin, I'll get Clem and then we'll both go in together."

"Whatever you say, Pard," Jess tried to frown, but it came out as a smile anyway as they worked together to prepare the team of horses for their impending journey to Laramie. Once finished, they quickly entered the house where Daisy had their cups of coffee and plates of gingerbread, still steaming and full of aromatic flavor, ready for them to devour, which they both did in less than a minute's time.

"You're taking the wagon to town, aren't you? That way you'll have plenty of room to bring home any last minute," Daisy paused, giving a quick glance to Mike who leaned forward from his perch at the table listening to her every word. "P-R-E-S-E-N-T-S."

"Shucks, Aunt Daisy," Mike grinned as he shook his head, "there's no use spelling it out. We all know what you spelled anyhow."

"Well, at least some of us did," Slim glanced at Jess who stood still with a puzzled expression on his face. "Come on, Pard," Slim gave Jess a nudge as Mike erupted in giggles, "I'll give you a spelling lesson on the way to Laramie."

"I know how to spell," Jess frowned, "I was just playing along for Mike's sake."

"Then what did she spell?" Mike asked, making Jess fidget. If it had been anyone else that had asked, Jess probably would have ignored them, but this was Mike and that made all the difference.

"Well," Jess cleared his throat, hearing a whisper coming from Slim's direction. "Right. Well, you see, Mike, when Daisy spelled _presents_ , I figured it was a secret that needed to be kept secret. Come on, Slim, town ain't getting closer if we don't get going."

Jess walked out of the door in a hurry, but he didn't get outside quick enough to miss the humor shared between Daisy, Mike and Slim. Of course Slim had whispered the word loud enough for not only Jess to hear, but the other two as well. He didn't mind, for his lack of schooling hadn't put too much of a crimp in his lifestyle all of these years and he wasn't going to let it start bothering him now.

"Are you sure you don't want that lesson, Jess?" Slim asked as he stepped outside, pulling on his gloves as he walked.

"I reckon there's some things I know better than you," Jess pulled his gun out in a blink of an eye, aimed it at a frozen clump of dirt and obliterated it with a pull of a trigger, "and you ain't wanting any lessons from me."

"Point taken," Slim laughed as he put his hand on Jess' back and then they walked side by side to the wagon. "It's getting colder out, Jess, and I don't like the look of those clouds."

"It's gonna snow all right," Jess looked towards the north at the dark, billowing clouds, pulling the warm collar of his jacket closer to his neck.

"Maybe we shouldn't risk it," Slim followed Jess' gaze.

"I don't know about you, but I ain't gonna let a few snowflakes get in my way," Jess turned his head away from the sky and leapt into the wagon seat. "Besides, you heard Daisy say we need to bring home more P-R-E-Z- dad-gum!"

"You're right, Pard," Slim stepped into the wagon and sat down beside Jess, "at least about not letting a few snowflakes get in our way. But it might be a little dangerous in the pass, though. Sum Campbell stopped by last night and said the snow really piled up from the storm over the weekend up there. Sunshine this morning might make some runoff in places."

"You know me," Jess said, taking up the reins with a definite glint in his eyes, "I like to take risks."

"And you know me," Slim looked at Jess with a grin, his eyes shining almost as equally bright, "I go right along with you when you take them."

They started the wagon out at a much slower pace than the usual speed that Jess often encouraged the strong team of horses to go as he had a definite penchant for speed. The road wasn't too snowy as there had been enough travelers and moderate sunshine to stop the buildup of slush from forming, but the corners were still slick, so Jess thought it wise to keep the team slow and steady instead of quick and reckless, especially since Slim shared the seat with him. Old Hard Rock, as Jess often referenced his Pard, didn't share his fondness for road races and didn't want to hear any comments about his horse handling on the road to Laramie.

"It's sure going to be a different Christmas this year, other than the weather," Slim said thoughtfully, leaning back in the seat, ever aware of the cloud cover creeping closer. "I've sure enjoyed having a kid bouncing around with excitement again."

"You miss Andy, don't you?" Jess asked, already knowing what Slim was now thinking about.

"Hard not to this time of year," Slim answered, dropping his eyes away from the sky to watch the rhythm of the horses, noticing the pace was gentle and even, unlike how Jess usually kept the team flowing. "It's too risky during wintertime to have him travelling. Like now, you and I might look the other way when it comes to going head on into a dangerous situation, but I can't let Andy do the same."

"Yeah," Jess nodded, already knowing the reason since they'd talked about it not only that year, but the previous year as well.

"At least he's happy there in St. Louis," Slim continued after a gentle sigh, "and not crying from homesickness. Now St. Louis is his home. I'm all right with that, because he's old enough to make his own choices, but in a way, it surprises me that he found a home there so quickly."

"I woulda said the same about myself all those years ago in Texas," Jess said, his mind quickly going back to the days of his youth as he continued to lead the team onward towards Laramie. "I wasn't looking for a home and never thought I'd ever have one again, but one found me here. Homes change, but family never does. Don't worry, Slim, Andy'll come home again someday. Maybe it won't be permanent like how your Pa originally had it planned out, but the ranch is still home to a couple of brothers."

"You and me, Pard," Slim smiled, glancing upwards. "I know my Pa would approve."

"Just as I reckon my Pa'd give a nod of approval in your direction, too," Jess said and then paused for a moment as he thought farther backwards in time. "He woulda been pleased even back when I was a kid if I woulda brought home a Pard like you. Times mighta been rough, but he didn't turn away family, and that's what you woulda been for sure."

"What was Christmas like?" Slim asked, and then quickly added in case he'd been stepping over Jess' privacy line. "I'm sure it was never cold like this one's proving to be."

"We thought it was good," Jess answered, nodding his head as he continued, ignoring the comment about Texas weather. "Us kids never complained, anyway. Since we never had much, we didn't build up any expectations. It was good enough just to have a penny in the bottom of a stocking and a peppermint stick poking out the top. Ma made each of us a new shirt every year, or in Francie's case, a dress. I remember the last year," Jess paused, clearing his throat, "before the fire, we were given new boots instead. We also had some bouts of fun, too. Ma would make popcorn balls, and would you believe it was this rascally kid that decided they'd best be used like snowballs since snow was scarce? Ma was angry at first after we started throwing them all over the place at each other, but then when she heard us laughing, she let us continue our good natured fight. After we were spent from our laughter, we'd eat the popcorn balls, dirt and all. It became a yearly tradition, until I got to be, oh, I reckon about twelve. Then I guess we were too old for all that tomfoolery. But the one thing that truly stayed the same from year to year, was Ma reading us the Christmas story. We'd gather 'round her chair and sit in awe as she read the familiar words all over again. It was in her voice, I reckon, how she read it, but it made the meaning of the words even more important because it was Ma reading them out loud to us."

Jess drew quiet for a few minutes and Slim stayed silent, letting his friend stay in his mind where he wanted to be. Jess always had a different tone in his voice whenever he talked of his family, and Slim noted it was evident now. There never was any hint of sharpness or grit lacing the edges of his voice like usual, but it was softened with a tenderness that not everyone knew existed in a man such as Jess Harper. Slim knew it and enjoyed this side of his partner just as much as the boisterous side.

"My ma always wanted a preacher in the family," Jess continued, staring straight ahead at the horses as they moved forward, still going slow and steady, "that's why she named all of her sons outta the Bible."

Slim looked intently at Jess, the surprise evident in his eyes although Jess didn't meet his gaze to see it. Slim was amazed that there were still pieces of Jess' past, little snippets of Harper history that he was still learning. The depths of the man he sat next to must have been endless.

"Jesse, father of King David, or in my case, Jess, brother of baby David," Jess chuckled lightly, "course it didn't take long for Ma to realize it wouldn't be me fulfilling her desires since I was rough and rowdy as far back as my diaper wearing days. I reckon that's why she put her hopes in David after he was born, 'cause naturally he was a lot tamer than me." Jess was quiet for a long time, his deep thoughts bringing back the pain. "I tried to save him."

"I know you did, Jess," Slim said softly, putting a comforting hand on Jess' shoulder.

"I reckon we've spent enough time on memory lane," Jess rubbed his cheek against the plush collar of his coat in an attempt to wipe off a tear in the corner of his eye before it dared slip down where it could be seen. "Nostalgia has never been one of my best subjects."

"Well, we know for sure spelling isn't," Slim couldn't stop the chuckle from coming out of his mouth.

"You better be careful, Slim," Jess gave Slim a mischievous glance, "or I just might forget how to spell your name when it comes time to writing it on your present."

"All right, all right," Slim glanced at Jess, seeing a smile on the corner of his mouth he couldn't resist the next question. "What'd you get me?"

"Nothing," Jess answered immediately, "it's an empty box."

Slim laughed out loud, but as the wagon turned a corner that put the pass into view, his mirth was silenced. From high above where the sun had radiated, snowmelt coming off of the slope made slushy rivulets race across the muddy road. Where all of the shadows that had stretched over the roadway were, patches of packed snow and ice still covered the ground. Jess pulled the team to a halt, frowning at what was in front of him.

"I didn't figure there'd still be this much snow on the road," Jess stood up, taking in the entire stretch of roadway that they needed to cross and then reseated. Most people would take one look at what lay ahead and turn back, but Slim and Jess weren't most people. "Well, I ain't licked, not by a long shot." Jess made an encouraging sound in his throat to the horses as he started them in motion again. "Let's go boys, show the road you're made of tougher stuff than what it's got going against it right now."

The wagon continued, even more slowly, as the wheels rolled through the slushy places precariously. Jess kept a firm hold on the reins, talking to the horses out loud. They followed his commands and he felt their strength flowing through the reins and into his hands. When their feet started clomping into deeper snow, Jess felt like they were going to make it without any trouble, but only a few seconds later, he heard the beginning crack of a very dangerous noise.

"Jess!" Slim shouted, pointing towards the towering peak beside them at the same time as the thunderous sound shook the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Rock slide! The whole mountain is giving way!" Slim's eyes grew large as he took in the scene as it started to play out in front of them. It wasn't so much as an avalanche of snow, for the snowpack didn't cling to the sharpest points of the rock walls and boulders, but it was the rocks themselves that hurtled down towards the roadway, not caring what they struck as they barreled down below, bringing the snow and ice along with them.

"We gotta try to outrun it!" Jess yelled and then slapped the reins on the horses to get them to run. They needed little encouragement to go, for the rocks that aimed towards their feet brought with it a dangerous fright for the animals. With a quick glance over his shoulder, Jess knew that forward was the only way to go, as behind them the rocks were already impaling the ground they'd already traversed. He called to the spooked horses and his voice comforted them as they leapt ahead, gaining speed that he'd never attempted before.

The noise was deafening as the earth shook, quaking underneath the pressure as the side of the mountain was released like it had been set off by dynamite. The rocks were all around them now, with the smallest stones coming down with the wet runoff of snow like a stream of icy pebbles, while the largest, most hazardous boulders bounced and rolled downwards with force, destroying everything in their path. Bursts of snow and ice started pelting their bodies as the rocks kicked up the snow around them like dust, leaving a white, sparkling layer over Jess and Slim's hats and overcoats. Amidst all the chaos, a trio of boulders smashed into the road in front of them, making the horses forget who was in command and darted away from the closest boulder, narrowly missing the second one as the third bumped into the back end of the wagon, causing the horses to rear and then bolt forward, frantically trying to escape the death that they feared was coming off of the mountain at them.

"Hold them, Jess!" Slim called sharply, even though he could clearly see that Jess' muscles were strained to their tightest as he held the reins with all of his might. Slim watched the expression on Jess' face as they didn't shift with the onslaught that hurtled around them. He kept everything set in stone, his eyes flicking back and forth being the only part that moved, but what was the most notable to Slim's gaze was Jess' firmly set jaw that showed every ounce of his determination. Slim was grateful at that moment that he was only a spectator, for he knew that if he was holding the reins, he wouldn't be able to do so with as much power and resolve as his partner.

The wagon pitched dangerously over the edge of the cliff. Jess had a flashback visual of Essie Bright's wagon with Roany Bishop controlling the team as he was racing the stagecoach, but he had only been watching that agonizing scene from the safety of his faithful horse as he sped over the roadway to catch up to them. Now, he was the one in the driver's seat looking down in terror, but he would not succumb to the fear, would not let the demands of the boulders win, just like he would not let the madman win in his tempered outburst. Jess took a deep breath, and gave a nod of his head, knowing that Essie would also be cheering him onward to win.

The snow covered rocks continued to tumble down around them. The wheels, when hitting a badly placed rock, jarred the wagon roughly, sending the bottoms of both Slim and Jess up into the air, smacking them back down onto the seat after the wheels had lost contact with that particular stone, only ready to do it again with the next one in its path. How the wagon was holding together after this brutal attack, neither Slim nor Jess could know, they just continued onward, hoping to reach the end of the slide, wherever that may be.

It was impossible to know where any safety was ahead, as there was little roadway left to see as it was being overcome with the still coming snow, rocks and ice. The wagon jerked terribly as a rear wheel became attached to a limb of a tree that had been victim to one of the boulders. The wheel made a loud grinding noise, but before it broke the wheel into pieces, the limb smacked into a rock, ripping it free from the spokes. It was at that moment that Jess dared think that they'd seen the worst, but the slide wasn't finished with them yet.

Another explosion of rocks burst forth from above, cascading down in front of them like they'd been powered by a runaway locomotive. The horses panicked, but Jess refused to react in the same manner. He had to keep his head, had to keep his strength flowing through his arms on into his hands and into the reins to tell the horses he wasn't going to let them go. Even as the mountain crumbled all around them, Jess sat solidly in place, knowing that the lives of Slim and the horses were carried on his shoulders. He heard Slim gasp at the same moment a sickening sound filled his ears from above and he flicked his eyes to his right to see what was coming, but even when he saw it, he turned his head back towards the horses and the road, more than ever determined to get them to safety.

"We're not going to make it!" Slim watched in horror as a boulder picked up speed, tumbling down, its aim directly in their path. He held his breath, waiting until there was no doubt about where the boulder would hit. "Dear God, it's coming right at us!" Slim shouted, holding his position until the last second, hoping, praying, but the boulder was on a collision course with nothing stopping its destruction. Slim gave one last shout, knowing it was their only chance. "Jump, Jess!"

Slim jumped, but Jess would not let go of the reins.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Slim rolled on impact with the ground, his body striking an icy patch that helped move his body swiftly away from the debris. When his leg met a stationary rock, he quit rolling and placed his hands over his head until the noise subsided. With only remnants of the earth still sliding downward, Slim stood and turned to face what was left of the wagon. Just as Jess had shattered the frozen ball of dirt with his quick draw, the boulder destroyed the wagon, its remains strewn across the battered road and down into parts unknown.

Slim turned a grateful eye towards the team of horses. They stood a short distance away, frightened, but unmoving as they were partially blocked on three sides by the melting mountainside and two large boulders. His eyes roamed over the surrounding area, assessing the damage, but what he really was looking for was nowhere in sight. Something vitally important in his life was missing. Jess.

Slim stepped forward, noticing only slightly that his knee didn't want to cooperate as he frantically searched the ground around him for any sign of his partner, but only pieces of the wagon stood out amongst nature's cruel marks. He found the little that remained of the wagon seat and crouched in the dirty snow, tracing the odd shaped marks that were there with his finger and then his eyes followed the remainder of the haphazard trail to where the drop off began to see gloved fingers moving ever so slightly in the snow.

"Jess!" Slim covered the distance quickly, ignoring the sharp pain that seared through his knee and down his leg as he ran.

He heard a groan as he reached the edge, but just as he reached for the glove, it slipped away from his grasp. Slim leaned forward until he could see Jess' body dangling over the snowy landscape below, the only thing holding him to the cliff side was that one gloved hand. Slim dug his spurs into the ice, inching downward one step at a time until he felt there wasn't much underneath him anymore and there he crouched, but he was still too far above Jess' hand to do any good.

"Slim," Jess looked up when the snow stopped dusting into his eyes. "I reckon you musta made a clean jump. Are you still in one piece?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Slim lied. What was the use of complaining about his injured knee when his best friend was hanging by a thread of ice?

"What about Robin and Clem?" Jess asked, the worry lines on his face weren't hard to miss. "Did the horses make it?"

"They're fine, Jess," Slim answered with truth, instantly seeing Jess' features lose their anxious look. "Scared, but they're strong and healthy, thanks to you."

"Good," Jess attempted to nod, but with his neck craned upwards looking at Slim, it was difficult to do so. He sighed gently with relief, knowing that even though they hadn't made it all the way through the slide unscathed, he'd done the next best thing, staying in control long enough to ensure the safety of Slim and the horses. To him, nothing else mattered.

Slim gauged the distance between his hand and Jess' and knew he needed to be in a different position if he was going to haul his partner up the snowy edge of the cliff. He grimaced as he tried to move his knee, as the injured limb didn't want to bend, but he wasn't going to be stopped by its demands. With a forceful jerk that sent enough pain throughout his entire leg that normally would have brought a sharp retort from his mouth, Slim refused to acknowledge the pain and dropped to his belly, reaching his hand towards Jess.

"What in tarnation do you think you're doing?" Jess had his usual tone of grit as he watched Slim drop into the snow and precariously crawl in his direction.

"Trying to save you," Slim answered with a grunt, inching his way closer to Jess' hand.

"How? There ain't any way possible," Jess tried to get his fingers to dig deeper into the snow to prolong the inevitable, but even through the gloves his fingers were so cold they could barely move. It was only a matter of time, a very short time, before they could hold on no longer.

"There's always a way," Slim let out a noise that almost sounded like a wheeze as his knee screamed out the sound he really wanted to make as he stretched out to his limit.

"No, Slim, don't do it!" Jess shook his head hard, watching as Slim pushed himself beyond any measure of safety, reaching his hand out to Jess. He felt his fingers slipping and his body started to sway as he was about to be released from the frozen cliff but before he could plummet, Slim's hand grasped a tight hold onto Jess.

"I've got you, Pard," Slim breathed heavily as the entire weight of Jess was now attached to his own. "I'm not going to let you go."

"Yeah," Jess peeked down below them and then turned his eyes back towards Slim. "So you can make that your grave too."

"No," Slim frowned, not liking Jess' dismal tone, "I'll pull you up." How, he had no idea.

"Slim, I reckon you're stronger than most men, but strength ain't what you need right now," Jess said quickly.

"Jess, just let me think for a minute, I can do it," Slim's voice held a nervous tone that was usually never there.

"Look at what you're laying on," Jess instructed, but when Slim refused to take his eyes off of Jess, his bark became louder. "I said look!"

Slim dropped his eyes to view the ground underneath him, but there wasn't any true ground at all. In his haste to reach Jess, he hadn't noticed that he had well passed the edge of safety and hadn't been perched on anything solid. His entire body leaned out over a ledge of ice crusted snow, but because of repeated daytime melt and nighttime freezes, the snow had created a shelf of its own, with nothing underneath but the air that Jess dangled in. The only thing that held Slim's body in place was a thin layer of ice, which was now rapidly melting and cracking from his body weight, made even worse by the two hands that were clasped together at its furthest edge.

"Let me go, Slim, save yourself," Jess anxiously watched the crack in the ice start to spread.

"I can't do that, Jess," Slim answered, the thickness in his throat being portrayed in his voice. Letting go would mean an instant death for his partner. Snow made the landscape below them somewhat obscure, but Slim could see the details of the misshapen ground as if he were viewing it on a summer's day with every one of its sharp peaks and deep trenches that twisted and mangled the ground, calling out to all that passed by that it was a way to instant death. Slim had even heard some old-timers call that area "Suicide Trail" because it was the surest way to find an end if someone wanted to take the leap.

"If you didn't have a hold of me so dad-gum hard, I woulda already found the bottom by now," Jess said, knowing by the way Slim stared beyond him that he was seeing what awaited him on the lengthy drop down. "If you don't let go soon, we're both gonna be on the bottom together."

"I'm not going to let you go, Jess," Slim said, although he was beginning to get the sense that Jess' words were an ugly reality as he felt his own body slipping slowly towards the edge. With Jess attached to his hand, it took every ounce of his strength just to hold them in place, and even that wasn't done solidly. There was nothing he could even attempt to do to pull Jess upward, getting them both to safety. Even if he could give a mighty heave and toss Jess behind him, there was a great chance that his own body would be hurtled downward instead.

"You've gotta, Slim, there ain't any other choice!" Jess didn't want his voice to sound as rough as it was, but there was no stopping the emotions coursing through his body as his very life dangled in thin air making each word a sharp retort, as if he was angry at Slim. But Jess was only afraid, not for his own life, he'd been down death's road before and hadn't shirked away in fear, but he was afraid that Slim wouldn't be able to save himself before the snow crumbled away underneath him if he continued to fight against the odds to save him.

"It's Christmas, Jess," Slim softly said, the emotion of the moment bringing an overwhelming urge to cry. "It's time to celebrate a birth, not mourn a death."

"A man's end comes in all seasons," Jess answered, his voice finally dropping to a level that matched the growing peace that was rising inside of him. "I've been skirting mine my entire life. I reckon now's a good as time as any to die."

"Then I'll die right alongside of you, Pard," Slim said, sincerely meaning every word. "I'm not letting you go."

"You have to, Slim," Jess kept his voice calm as he tried to get his words to hit Slim right between the eyes. "We both can't die. One of us has to walk outta here. We can't leave Daisy and Mike alone. You're the only one that can escape."

"Jess," Slim's voice cracked, "I can't …"

"Listen to me, Slim," Jess looked as deeply into his partner's eyes as he could, hoping that Slim could see the brotherly love that sparkled in his own. "I'm willing to die so that you can live, to live for Mike and Daisy, for Andy in Missouri, for the ranch that your Pa left you and for so much more."

"But I'm not willing to let you die," Slim tried one last attempt to pull Jess up the melting snow, but only more whisked away, disappearing into the depths below. "I can't let you die."

"Slim," Jess used the little strength that remained in his fingers to squeeze his partner's hand. "It's all right. I'm ready to go."

"Jess," Slim said, knowing the tears were brimming in his eyes but didn't blink them away. "Jess, I can't let you go like this. There's so much to say."

"There ain't time for any fancy speeches," Jess replied quickly, "and since you know I ain't never been one to say that final word out loud, I reckon this is gonna be it."

"God help me, I can't do this," Slim fought his emotions, but as Jess had said, there wasn't any time left for any fight of any kind. He knew just as well as Jess that their time had run out.

"Look at me Slim," Jess pleaded, knowing both of them had only seconds to live if Slim didn't move. He saw the blue eyes in his partner's face come in direct contact with his own and Jess gave one final request. "Live, Slim and let me go."

If time could suspend in the air, in those last few moments, it did. Slim held his breath and let go.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The gloved hand slipped away. There was no scream, no sound coming from below, nothing, just a simple release of pressure on a hand and a man's life was gone. Jess' life.

Slim shifted his weight, placing his uninjured leg on a solid ledge of rock and the snow shelf he'd been stretched out on crumbled. If he hadn't had both hands ready to catch the edge of the cliff when it disintegrated, he would have gone down with it. Part of him wished he had, but Jess hadn't wanted it that way. He was alive, because Jess had wanted him to live.

Slim pulled himself to a safer position that gave him a better view of the snowy landscape that stretched out in an uneven mass of dark and white below, but there wasn't any sign of death marring the image. There wasn't anything at all. No holes in the snow, no misshapen marks, just a calm scene, but in that stillness, it fast turned into something akin to desolation.

"Jess!" Slim called repeatedly, but the only sound coming in return was a haunting echo and when the sound dimmed to nothingness, it seemed to speak rather cruelly. Jess was gone. There wasn't any possible way a man, or living thing for that matter, could survive a fall of that magnitude. The ground had opened for him and the snow had buried him, giving him a grave that only nature itself could dig.

He dropped his head, the grief like numbness from the cold, couldn't express itself with tears or an anguished cry. Slim shakily stood, his injured knee protesting with the weight he now placed on it, but he didn't give it much thought. There was another part of his body that hurt worse that drew his most attention and that was the now gaping hole in his heart, an unseen injury that would never heal. One of the horses called to him, bringing Slim's forethoughts back to the animals that needed him. He limped to where they anxiously waited and he reached out a gentle hand to comfort each one, but as the horses, one at a time, pressed their muzzle into his neck, it was Slim that received the most comfort in return.

"He gave his life to save you, to save us," Slim said through the thickness in his throat, knowing that Jess had denied his own safety to make sure the horses and his partner escaped death. Jess had time to jump, Slim was testament to that, but Jess wouldn't let the horses die, wouldn't let Slim die, so he held on until it was too late. Jess gave the only thing he could to make sure the ones he cared most about could go on living, his own life.

Jess had just shown the love of God far greater than any preacher could have ever done. Because it was Christmas, the sacrifice of life made the holy season even more important. After all, wasn't that very love what Christmas was all about? "You dream finally came true, Mrs. Harper," Slim looked towards the heavens, wishing he could see beyond the clouds that covered the blue. "You must be a mighty proud Mama."

As Slim looked upward, snowflakes, gentle and soft, floated down touching his face. He kept his gaze heavenward, watching the glistening formations fall from the sky. Like a finger touching the highest octaves on a piano, they tinkled a melody until the stirring of the song that belonged to nature seemed to be all around Slim, but the heavenly music couldn't penetrate a broken heart. He finally pulled his eyes away from the swirling snowflakes, now coming down in a heavier pattern until the piano notes were muted by the thickening on the ground.

A great sigh escaped Slim's mouth as he knew he needed to pull away. He released the horses from what remained of their harnesses, but kept enough of the tangled reins to be able to ride one and lead the other. Slim chose Jess' favorite of the two, Robin, to mount and then with a gentle tug on Clem to encourage him to follow, they slowly made their way around what remained of the rocky tumult on the road and then plodded through the snow towards Laramie.

As Slim approached town, the sights and sounds of Christmas were all around him. Several kids were engaged in a raucous snowball fight near the schoolhouse, a group of carolers sang their way up the street, a father and son were pulling a freshly cut fir tree on a homemade sled, heading towards their home and a young couple rode around the edge of town on a sleigh, the bells attached to the horse's harness jingling with seasonal merriment. What would normally be a warm, inviting atmosphere that would bring joy to every viewing heart, inside of Slim, none of these things would touch, as his life source felt as frozen as the water in the barrel outside of the general store that the clerk chipped away at so a kid at his side could suck the little chips that flew out onto the ground.

Slim pulled Robin to a halt outside of Mort Cory's office and slid off of the horse's back. He leaned hard against the hitching post, biting the inside of his cheek as the pain returned to his knee with force. Slim took a deep breath and then quickly exhaled it, watching as the fog of his breath went forward, touching the door of the sheriff's office before he made contact with his hand. Turning the knob, he had one grateful thought that it wasn't locked, telling him that Mort was still there.

The heat of the office wrapped its arms around Slim as he entered, nearly carrying him to the chair alongside Mort's desk. Slim dropped into it just as Mort walked out of the adjoining room where the cells were, carrying a few articles of clothing in his hand that he would wear in the Christmas morning nativity scene at the livery stable that he had been in charge of putting together. Seeing the anguish and pain on Slim's face, the sheriff dropped what he was holding and raced across the room and gripped Slim's shoulders with both hands, fearing he would tumble to the ground if he didn't.

"What's happened, Slim?" The color drained from Mort's face with the dread of what would be his reply.

Slim couldn't answer, only shaking his head slowly back and forth in reply. Hoping Slim would stay upright, Mort took three quick steps towards the coffee pot and poured Slim a cup and returned to Slim's side, but when Slim refused to take the steaming liquid in hand, Mort held the cup to Slim's lips and waited until he swallowed a decent gulp before setting the cup on his desk.

"Slim," Mort kneeled in front of his friend, putting his hand on Slim's shaking knee. He knew something dreadful had happened, exactly what yet, he didn't know, but just seeing the expression on Slim's face was enough to tell him that the man's heart had been severed. "Talk to me, Son."

"Jess," Slim started, finally allowing his eyes to focus on the worried man's face in front of him, "Jess is dead."

"My God!" Mort exclaimed, not wanting to believe the words that had come from Slim's mouth, but seeing his friend like he was, he knew that it must have been the awful truth. He felt the stab in his own heart as the shockwaves went through his body as the damage from a difficult loss started to take shape.

"Did someone call me?" The bellow came from the cells, the voice unmistakably the parson's.

"Keep quiet, Parson," Mort hollered, ignoring the returned comment that came from the cell room. The parson's out of hand, or best described as hand by hand combat revivals, often landed him a night or two in Mort's jail. Unfortunately for Mort, the man had planned such a wild revival the night before and had been more or less entertaining Mort all Christmas Eve as Mort put the finishing touches on his nativity costume. Mort put his focus back on Slim, his gut twisting inside of him. "How Slim? What happened?"

"We were coming through the pass," Slim began, trying to not let his body shake as he relived the nightmare through words. "There was a massive rockslide and Jess tried to outrun it, but a boulder made a direct hit to the wagon. I jumped, but Jess didn't. He must have gone over the cliff with the rocks, but he didn't go all the way. I got a hold of his hand." Slim paused, putting a hand over his eyes. "I tried to save him, Mort, but he wouldn't let me. The snow was melting underneath us, ready to put us both to death, but he wouldn't let that happen. He told me to let him go because he knew I would have died if I didn't. So I let him go. Dear God in heaven, I let him go!" The anguish ripped through Slim's words, tearing his heart into pieces as he cried out loud. "I let Jess die! Mort, I killed him! I let him go!"

"No, Slim," Mort said soothingly, even though he felt the grief of losing a man he thought as a son clench his chest tightly, he had to put the comfort he held in his heart first. Right now, another man that was like his son needed him and Slim was far more important than his own feelings of loss. "An accident took his life, not you. He gave not his life away, but his love. You didn't give that life away, but you took his love in return. Think about Jess, Slim, and how often he was willing to lay his life down for you, for me, for people he didn't even know. He finally accomplished that goal, and I know God is telling him 'well done, Son'."

"Very well said, Brother Cory," Parson stood outside of the jail room, nodding his head.

"What are you doing?" Mort turned his head towards the parson. Even though he let the black coated man have freedom during his jail time and never locked his cell, he still became irritated whenever he eavesdropped and right now it was even worse having him standing nearby taking in their personal conversation about as something as harrowing as the death of a loved one.

"I heard the intense sorrow coming from Brother Sherman," Parson pointed towards Slim. "I feel it is my duty to console him during this time." He walked over towards Slim and put a hand on his shoulder and proclaimed, "Grieve not Brother Sherman, for this is the season of miracles! Brother Harper surely has sprouted wings and with the angels he will fly!"

Slim was usually a patient man, not easily provoked, but the over exaggerated tone in the parson's voice grated on his already raw, and very exposed nerves. He wrenched his shoulder away from the parson's grasp and whirled around, standing up to face his bulging eyes and lopsided grin, but Mort stepped forward, walking the ever ready for a fight parson over towards the stove with a command to stay put. Feeling overwhelmed, Mort ran his hand over his face and then slowly took the steps back towards Slim, who stood in the middle of the room, clenching his fists tightly.

"Slim," Mort put his hand on Slim's arm, making the man jump slightly. "Let's go outside for a minute."

The bitter air brought Slim's exasperation down to a tolerable level and seeing the two horses standing in the cold took the remainder of his irritation away, leaving only the shock of the brutal truth that his best friend was gone inside of him. Slim methodically moved towards the horses and Mort followed, taking the one that remained after Slim pulled on the other's reins and moved towards the livery stable. Inside the barn, Mort let the man in charge take over and Mort stood by Slim as the stable worker tended to the weary animals.

Mort looked at Slim, knowing the bond between the two men had been inseparable, and now that it was broken, it would never be repaired. Mort had watched the two of them together since Jess had first come to town, had seen them handle even the roughest and toughest of situations side by side, and knew there wasn't any other duo that could handle whatever they faced better. Mort had often had a bad feeling that one of them would lose the battle of life during one of their conflicts and it had been a grave concern of his, for he didn't know what would become of the one that remained. Now he'd get to find out, as Slim was the broken man that remained.

"He can't be gone, Mort," Slim suddenly said, pointing to the unknown beyond the stable wall. "I shouldn't even be here. I should be out there looking for him, tearing through every inch of that snow until I find him."

"I know," Mort nodded, knowing that it was understandable that Slim would feel the need to tend to Jess' lifeless body, wherever it was. He felt exactly the same. "I won't let you go out there alone." Mort turned towards the stable man and called out a request, "saddle my horse for me and bring a sturdy mount for Slim as well."

They exited the livery together, leading the readied horses and Mort motioned towards his office. "I need to get more layers. This cold is enough to bite my ears off."

With a thick scarf wound around his head, Mort checked on the parson and wrote a note that he'd be out for several hours. As he tightened his hat over the scarf, he suddenly remembered why Slim and Jess were coming into town in the first place that now fateful day.

"You're going to want to take these presents home, aren't you?" Mort asked, pointing towards the parcels on his desk. He had willingly kept some of the gifts Slim and Jess had purchased for Daisy and Mike since the two partners weren't very good at keeping secrets and they didn't want the youngster finding the goodies before Christmas morning. Now, as Mort looked at them, he wondered if Slim even remembered that he'd had them, or if he even cared. The entire family was going to suffer this loss; gifts wouldn't be as important anymore.

"I guess so," Slim said after a moment of silence and took a few of the bundles out of Mort's hands. "I should take something home other than bad news." He hadn't yet thought how he'd tell Daisy and Mike of Jess' death, and now that his thoughts started pulsating on that dreaded moment, he dropped his head, breathing a burdened sigh.

"I'll be coming too," Parson said, standing with his hands tightly holding the front of his black coat. "After all, Brother Harper deserves proper words spoken over him. Who better to say them than me?"

Mort opened his mouth to protest, but Slim was too defeated to let the parson's outlandish behavior bother him any further so he put his hand up, stopping Mort from what would be the beginning of an argument with the black coated man. "I won't stop him, Mort. If he wants to come, he can."

"Valiant, Brother Sherman!" Parson grabbed his hat from the peg on the wall and plopped it on his head. Even though both Slim and Mort were dressed for the elements they would face on the journey up the pass, the parson stepped right outside in his everyday garb. "Refreshing this weather, isn't it?"

"Parson," Mort leaned towards the man and tapped him on the chest as he spoke, "do you think you can go for an hour, maybe as much as two, without one of your exclamations?"

"Why," Parson stood up straight, always ready to accept a challenge, "of course! I will spend the time on our trip to the pass in deep meditation and prayer for courage, for strength, for dignity, for duty …" the parson continued to add to his list of petitions while Mort walked to the livery stable and back with a horse for him, finishing as Mort placed the reins in his hand. "…for peace, for mercy, for miracles!"

The road to the pass was spent in silence as the parson kept his word. Even the snow wouldn't allow any noise to disrupt the almost eerie silence that enfolded them. If it weren't for the steady plodding of hooves in the snow, it would have felt like the death of a friend had left the entire world in mourning, bowing in stillness to honor the fallen man.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The snow was deeper on top of the pass than it had been in Laramie. The higher they climbed, the harder the horses had to work, but finally they reached the disturbance on the road where the first displaced boulder from the slide spoke loudly of the deadly destruction that lay ahead. Slim dismounted, balancing on one leg as his knee didn't want to unfold after its cramped position in the saddle, trying to locate the exact place where Jess had fallen, but with the fresh snow all around, it was difficult to find.

He felt Mort's arm wrap around his shoulders so Slim leaned into his friend and they trudged side by side through the heavily debris laden road towards the edge of the cliff until Slim was certain they were standing above the snow covered grave site. There, Slim pulled away from the security of Mort's arm and stood erect, staring out into the never ending landscape that spread out in front of him, but he would not look down. Slim couldn't see the emptiness another time, couldn't see anything that might be there because somewhere beyond that view, there Jess would be.

Mort stepped away from Slim, giving him the privacy that he needed and walked close to the edge of the cliff side searching for any sign of life. The snow wasn't letting up, in fact, it was coming down even harder, which made it almost impossible for him to see beyond the fury of flurries to whatever lay down below. He knew what the ground looked like just as well as Slim did, and knew that a man could search for days without finding what they wanted to see, and that was without the landscape half buried in snow. The ground, the snow itself had swallowed Jess, but it would never seal his memory with it. That part of Jess Harper would live forever.

Mort paused in his walking and looked down near his feet and saw a corner of something dark sticking out of the snow against a mangled piece of the wagon that was pinned underneath a rock. He bent down, digging with his hands until he unearthed Jess' hat. Mort wiped it clean and then held it over his heart, the tears trickling down his cheeks and landing on the rim of his departed friend's hat. "You were a good man, Jess Harper," Mort said quietly, nodding his head and then closed his eyes as his lips began to quiver, not from cold, but from his silent weeping.

Slim heard the words come from Mort's mouth and he turned slightly to view the man standing still with Jess' hat over his heart. He bit his lip, grateful that at least one small part of his partner could be kept forever. Other than the symbolic gun that was hidden along the fireplace back at the house, there wasn't much that Jess kept, as he was never the type to have too many personal possessions. But that was only another part of Jess' character that had made him that good man that Mort had just proclaimed. Slim nodded, changing in his mind the descriptive word to the best.

"Hark!" Parson's voice echoed off everything around them bringing at least half a dozen calls of 'hark' back in their ears. In a quieter tone he turned towards Mort and pointed to the sky. "Did you hear the angels hark back?"

"Parson," Mort stepped up to the parson, put his hand on the man's arm and then turned his head towards the still form of Slim standing near the edge of the cliff. "For Slim's sake, can you keep your tone level?"

"Not when there's angels singing, Brother Cory," Parson brushed away Mort's hand and strode purposely through the deepening snow and perched on the edge of the cliff, staring out into the white mass in front of him. He suddenly started waving his arms up and down as if he were directing a choir and then he raised his voice to the sky. "Hark! The Harper angels sing, glory to the newborn King! Peace on Earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled! Joyful all the parson's cries, join the triumph of the skies! With the angelic host proclaim…" here he stopped, cupping his hand over his ear as if he were awaiting the angels in the heavens to proclaim "Glory". He smiled, hearing the words, but not from on high, but from down below. He continued his arm waving, belting out the verse all over again.

When the parson finished singing, he ran towards Mort, who was standing solemnly once more. "Did you hear the angel?" Without waiting for a response, the parson whisked his snow covered hat off of his head and looked heavenward. "Sing angel, sing!"

" _Hark! The Herald angels sing, glory to the newborn King_!"

"Isn't it beautiful?" Parson wiped the snowflakes mixed with tears from his eyes.

" _Peace on earth and mercy mind, God and sinners reconciled_!"

Now it wasn't just the parson hearing the singing. Mort rubbed his ear and shook his head, feeling for a moment that the parson's echo was playing tricks on him but the sound wasn't getting dimmer, but somehow it was getting louder. He turned his head, looking all around for where the voice was coming from, but only saw the parson jumping up and down in glee.

"Sounds just like him, doesn't it?" Parson stopped stomping in the snow and spread his hands out wide. "A blessed Harper angel singing!"

" _Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies_."

"Mort," Slim limped to where Mort stood with mouth ajar, "that sounds like … Jess!"

Parson turned towards Slim and Mort, with a wide grin on his face he shouted, "Brother Harper's up there serenading us down here, isn't it a miracle?"

" _With angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem_!"

"Parson, it's not coming from up there," Mort pointed to the sky, then thrust his finger towards the ground, "but from down there."

Slim hobbled through the snow until he nearly fell from the edge of the cliff, only being pulled to a safer distance by Mort's hands. They leaned over the edge together and looked down, but just as the view that had met them before, it was just the barrenness of the ever deepening mass of white. They looked at each other when the song ended, both with an equal expression of puzzlement on their faces as the parson from somewhere behind them continued exclaiming over the angel no one could see.

"Is that crazy parson getting inside my head? Am I losing control?" Slim asked, rubbing his hand over his forehead and down over his eyes.

"I guess if he's in your head then he's in my head too," Mort said slowly, "I heard it just as clearly as you did."

"It quit, why did it quit?" Slim asked, pulling away from the edge of the cliff to see the parson dancing in circles in the snow. "Parson," he hollered, "can you get it to start again?"

"As you say, Brother Sherman," Parson stopped dancing and cupped his hands over his mouth and gave a mighty shout, "Hark! The Harper's angel, sing!"

"Hark!" A muffled shout came in return, "whoever's up there can you stop harking and start helping?"

"Jess?" Slim whispered, knowing the voice was unmistakably his partner's, but it still came from the unknown depths of the earth. "Jess!"

"Slim! Is that you?" The voice was a little clearer, but it was genuinely the beautifully sweet sound of Jess' voice, even though it was its usual gravelly pitch. "Dad-gum, get me outta here!"

"Where are you?" Slim limped through the snow with Mort circling nearby, looking all around. The parson still was convinced the mysterious voice was an angel, as his arms were raised towards the now pouring snowfall, turning his black coat solid white.

"Down here!"

"Where?" Slim and Mort asked simultaneously.

"Here!"

At that moment, Slim's foot touched loose snow and a large chunk of ice broke through a hole in the earth. Mort reached his arm out to steady Slim from stumbling forward and then they both dropped to their knees, peering into the darkness that met their gaze. "Jess?"

"Yeah," Jess answered from the deep hole in the ground, "who'd you think it was?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"I'll get the ropes from our horses," Mort said, leaving Slim alone alongside the hole in the ground.

"Jess, are you badly hurt?" Slim called down the hole, grateful that his partner was alive, but still worrying that he might be battered and broken beyond mend.

"I ain't hurt at all," Jess called back in return. "Are you gonna get me outta here before Christmas is over?"

"Mort's gone to get some rope," Slim turned to see Mort coming with the ropes from each horse, in case Jess was so far down that they needed them all. "Jess, I don't know what to say, but how?"

"There'll be plenty of time for speeches once I get up there, at least none too fancy this time, right?"

"Right, Pard," Slim smiled and then stood up on his shaking leg to help Mort ready the ropes.

"All right, Jess," Mort hollered as they tossed the long length of ropes tied end to end down the hole that hopefully was big enough to fit Jess' body. "Can you see it, hear it or feel it?"

"None."

"He sounds so far down," Mort shook his head, watching as the last of their rope started to slide down the hole. "If this doesn't reach him, I'm not sure what else to try."

"It's got to," Slim rested his injured knee on the ground as he helped lead the rope down through the opening. "We've got to get him out."

"We will, Slim," Mort promised and then craned his head over the hole. "Anything yet?"

"Some snow just hit me in the face, so I reckon it's getting closer," Jess said and then suddenly he gave a hearty, "Hark! Got it!"

"Now he's sounding like Parson," Mort shook his head, glancing at the parson who stood nearby watching the whole scene play out.

"All right," Jess hollered up at them, "pull me up!"

"It sure feels like Jess has been enjoying Daisy's good cooking these past several months," Mort grunted as he and Slim pulled on the rope.

"I reckon we'd be saying the same thing to you if Slim and I were pulling you outta this blamed hole, Mort," Jess' voice reached their ears from down inside of the hole. He was apparently a lot closer now, definitely no longer just in shouting distance.

"I admit I like a heaping plate like any other normal fellow," Mort chuckled, "especially when it's freely offered by Mrs. Cooper whenever I'm out at your place."

"No arguments there," Slim smiled.

"Are you sure you ain't just helping me outta here so you can put some costume on my head for your nativity event tomorrow, Mort?" Jess asked as he inched closer to the top.

"I thought about it," Mort laughed, knowing that he'd already asked Jess four times if he wanted to participate, but he'd always answer the same, that he and Slim were needed at the ranch just in case the weather cleared and a stage might roll through, even if it was Christmas.

"He's almost to the top," Slim leaned over the hole to be able to see movement below. "I sure hope there's enough room for him to get completely through."

"If there ain't then I'll wish I didn't always take seconds," Jess said as the top of his hands poked through the open space, clenching the rope tightly.

"You're holding onto the rope with your hands?" Slim exclaimed, the expression on his face matching the sound of his voice.

"It wasn't long enough to tie around me," Jess answered somewhat casually. "It worked, I'm at the top ain't I? Now I just gotta get all the way out."

"Parson," Mort turned his head to look at the amused man behind them, "get over here and help." At Mort's command, he stepped through the snow and then wrapped his arms around Mort's waist and started tugging. "Not on me, on the rope!"

With all hands on the rope, Jess' body started coming through the hole, but his gun belt, giving his hips extra width, started to squeeze tightly at the opening, stopping him from exiting any further from the opening in the ground. Being firmly stuck in one position, Jess released his grip on the rope, sliding one hand towards the buckle on his gun belt. Unbuckling it, he started to pull it loose from his hips, but with the belt coming loose, more snow and ice came with it, loosening Jess' position more than what he expected. With nothing in his hands but the gun belt, when a chunk of snow broke free next to him, he suddenly started to plummet.

"Jess!" Slim shouted, stretching his body as far as it could go down the hole, grabbed for whatever part of Jess that he could and felt relieved when a hand clasped onto his own. "I've got you, Pard, and this time I won't let you go."

"I reckon I won't be telling you to, either," Jess smiled despite his perilous position.

"I've got your legs, Slim," Mort said as he put all of his strength into his hands to keep Slim from sliding any further. "Now, Parson, you can pull me by the waist."

With every hand in a solid position, once the team of men began to pull, progress was made. As Parson and Mort went backwards in the snow, Slim's body started sliding across the beaten down snow on his belly, hands clasped firmly to Jess', bringing him up and safely through the hole. Once Jess' feet slid away from the edge, the hands were still attached as he stood to his feet, pulling Slim off of the ground beside him. Mort stepped close, putting his hand on both men's shoulders and in one movement, they stepped into a warm embrace, the trio of friends sharing their gratitude with action instead of words.

"See here, Brother Sherman," Parson's exclaim separated the men, with Mort standing with his arms crossed, Slim shaking his head and Jess grabbing for his hat that Mort had hastily dropped in the snow. "Didn't I tell you to grieve not, for this is the season of miracles?"

"You certainly did," Slim smiled as he rubbed his head, remembering what the parson had said, "but you also said Jess here had sprouted wings."

"Indeed!" Parson strode proudly towards Jess and turned him around so that Jess' back was facing him. "Brother Harper, what did you do with your wings?"

"I reckon they musta fell off when I was being pulled up," Jess shrugged as he put his gun belt back snugly in place, not having any idea what the parson was talking about.

"No matter," Parson declared, "you rose up from the ground on the wings of angels!"

"Whatever it was, Parson," Jess smiled, "I'm mighty thankful."

"I'm sure glad you're all right, Jess, although if the remainder of my head has gone gray, I know who I'll blame." Mort shook hands with Jess and motioned with his head towards the horses, "right now though, the parson and I should be getting back to Laramie. I figure he's served the remainder of his sentence out here, which gives me the freedom to lock up the office tonight and kick my feet up with some hot cocoa and be ready to start off the Christmas festivities in the morning with the nativity at the livery stable. I'm playing a wise man, you know. Oh and Jess, if you thought I've put on a few inches from eating Daisy's cooking, don't check my waistline later this week. Tomorrow night I'm having Christmas dinner with my nephew's future in-laws, and according to Johnny, they're having turkey with all the fixings. I've been thinking about every one of those fixings for a whole week now."

"Eat a scoop of mashed potatoes with extra gravy for me, Mort," Jess laughed as Mort rubbed his stomach.

"You sure you're going to make it back to town all right, Mort?" Slim asked, looking up into the snow that was beginning to twirl with increasing northerly winds. "This snow storm has become relentless."

"Of course we will, Brother Sherman," Parson answered for Mort and then brushed some of the snow off of his coat before he put his arm around Mort's shoulder. "Righteousness always prevails and we will march forward to Laramie with perseverance, with justice, with strength …"

"We better get going or he'll still be shouting his proclamations on New Year's Eve!" Mort laughed and then waved a hand towards Slim and Jess as he led the parson to their horses. "Return the horse whenever you get a chance. Merry Christmas, boys!"

"Merry Christmas, Mort!" Slim and Jess said in unison. "Same to you, Parson!"

"Well," Slim gave Jess a friendly slap on his back. "I guess we'll be back up here as soon as this snow stops falling to help get the road cleared again. I'm sure the stage manager will expect every employee to participate, including us."

"I don't suppose it's gonna keep snowing until July," Jess groaned, knowing the hard work that would soon be in store for anyone that lived on that route to Laramie.

"I'll complain when my back's aching, right now, I'd just like to find a cup of that hot cocoa Mort was talking about and eat some of the sweets I'm sure Daisy's been cooking up since we left this morning," Slim smiled, starting to hobble towards the horse that they'd have to double up on to ride home.

"Hey," Jess grabbed Slim by the arm, pulling him to a halt. "How'd you get that limp?"

"When I jumped from the wagon," Slim explained, pointing to the area where he landed against the rocks. "I banged my knee up some when I landed."

"You mean I made it outta this in better shape than you?" Jess tried to hold his laughter in, but it couldn't be contained. He smiled wide and then broke out into a loud ringing laughter as he led the hobbling Slim through the snow to the horse that would take them back home. "Get up there, Limpy. I'll swing up behind you."

"Careful who you're calling names, Pard," Slim teased as Jess gave him a boost into the saddle. "Or I'll start calling you by the name the parson called you."

"What's that?"

"Angel."

"Well," Jess' mouth twitched as he swung into the saddle behind Slim, "I've sure been called worse!"Jess slapped the snow that had dusted onto his hat on his thigh and looked up to the gray sky. Even though the air was a mass of snowflakes that stung his face with the biting cold, after his stay in the dark cave, being back into this dismal daylight was bliss.

"Come on Jess," Slim said with a chuckle, giving the horse a nudge towards the ranch. "Let's go home."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"It sure is snowing hard, Aunt Daisy," Mike said, not moving his face away from the window as he continuously searched for the return of Slim and Jess. "Do you s'pose they're gonna make it home?"

"You know Slim and Jess," Daisy replied from the kitchen, also looking out at the deepening snow through the curtained window. "It'll take a lot more than a snowstorm to stop them from doing what they set out to do, and that's to be right here with us on Christmas."

"I s'pose so," Mike let out a soft sigh as he continued to look out at the heavily falling snow. This being his first Christmas since his parents had died, it had only been natural that there had been several days since they'd celebrated Thanksgiving that sadness from his loss had overwhelmed him to the point where he crumpled up in tears. But he had never dropped a single tear that wasn't wiped away by one of the new people in his life or gone without a hug when those times had come and somehow, there always seemed to be a sweet treat in Daisy's hand when he'd needed a smile.

"Aunt Daisy," Mike called, feeling the need for one of those smiles. "Is there still some gingerbread left?"

"I'm sure there's a piece that has your name on it," Daisy said and then a moment later came from the kitchen with a plate in hand. "Come sit at the table and enjoy."

"Thanks Aunt Daisy," Mike said as he sat down, but before he took his first bite, he turned his eyes one more time towards the window.

Even though Daisy wasn't Mike's aunt, at first he'd just started calling her so, and then after more time went by it became more than just a word, but a true family relationship between them. Slim and Jess, although they both were old enough to be his pa, Mike still looked to them as older brothers, even though the two men treated him in a myriad of ways, as a friend, as a brother, as a son, but mostly, just as a main part of the family. This new family was important to a youngster like Mike, having lost so much, even more so now that it was Christmastime. Mike needed the comfort of Aunt Daisy, but he also needed the strength and security that Slim and Jess provided, and right now, those two things, along with those two men, weren't there.

A loud noise suddenly shook the house as a rush of snow from the roof came sliding off into a heap by the kitchen door. Daisy hurried to the window to peer out, hoping to see the wagon rolling down the hill towards the house, but there was nothing but whiteness to see. She opened the door a crack, as the weight of the snow piled against the side of the house prevented the door from opening far and she stuck her head through the opening. She shivered, pulling her shawl closer around her shoulders and couldn't help but let the worry for Slim and Jess course through her body with its quivering.

Daisy closed the door and turned away from the snowy window to busy herself, folding the laundry she had been able to get washed early that morning and dried by the blazing fireplace. There were always stacks of dirty clothes around the Sherman household that needed tending, among many other things. With a rambunctious boy and two older boys that still had the tendency to play amidst their ongoing daily chores that went on at the ranch, Daisy was kept rather busy in her housekeeping duties, but she didn't mind at all. She frequently told people that questioned her decision to stay at the Sherman ranch that she loved the work. Loving the men and the boy, however, was the real reason.

Despite her concern for Slim and Jess somewhere out in the snowstorm, Daisy smiled as she worked, feeling the joy in her heart being the fullest it had been at Christmas in a long time. Ever since she had lost her only son in the war, Christmas Eve and the day itself was usually filled volunteering so she wouldn't spend the would be sad season alone, but now the most special days of the year wouldn't have a constant longing in her heart for what she'd lost, but now, to celebrate what she had found: A comfortable house to lodge in, a family to take care of, and love that lit that household into a home. Both Daisy and Mike had soon discovered after their arrival that blood didn't matter so much at the Sherman's, but what was felt in the heart. That had all started, as Daisy had learned right after accepting the invitation to stay, when a drifter named Jess Harper arrived on the scene. There was no shortage of open arms there, and Daisy and Mike had opened theirs in return to never want to let go.

Daisy finished her laundry task, putting the snug fitting pants of Slim and Jess in their dresser drawers. She fluffed the pillows on their beds even though she'd already done so after they'd left, hoping that they would soon be resting there soon. The house started to creak and whine with the wind as the snowstorm increased its dangerous attack on anyone who wasn't safe and snug indoors. She stepped to the bedroom window, looking out with almost as much fear in her face as Mike had showed when he'd been pressed against the one by the front door.

"Oh, my," Daisy said, putting her hand over her mouth as she trembled with the shutters as they banged against the outside wall. The snow was now going by the window completely horizontally, and the image beyond a few feet was making everything familiar turn an unrecognizable blur. She spoke, not loud enough for Mike to hear from the other room, lest he become even more worried than he'd been before, but she even admitted to herself that she was extremely fearful for the two men that might have been fighting the elements at that very moment. "This storm keeps getting worse and worse with every minute. Stay safe out there Slim and Jess. Don't press home just for us. I hope wherever you are, that you're together, because together is where you need to be."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The road was no longer a road, only being visible by not having trees or bushes sticking up through the surface of the top layer of white. Because of the heavily falling snow, their location wasn't easy to know as visibility for what lay ahead was greatly challenged. Going forward was all that they could do, and that was becoming slower with each step they took towards home.

"The snow's getting deeper," Slim glanced towards the ground where the horse's feet left deep holes as it slowly trudged along the obscure roadway. "We're going to need to let this weary horse rest soon, otherwise we'll exert him so much he won't be able to carry us at all."

"There's a good spot up ahead," Jess pointed towards a large fir tree that spread its limbs out over the road. Underneath at the base of the trunk, the ground was still brown as the heavy snow laden limbs acted as a canopy for the ground underneath.

Jess slid off of the horse and grabbed Slim's arm, helping him to dismount. As Slim balanced on one leg, Jess led the horse to the shelter of the tree and then returned to Slim, letting him lean on him as they pushed through the heavy snow to the dry, albeit frozen, ground underneath the tree. They sat down side by side with their backs against the tree trunk to help them absorb the warmth that radiated from their body heat, glad that for the time being they could be out of the snow that continued to fall from the sky like goose feathers.

"So are you going to tell me about it?" Slim asked, rubbing his hands over his injured knee.

"I reckon a miracle such as mine needs to be told," Jess nodded, knowing that if it were any other normal circumstances, he might have flushed, since he never liked drawing attention to himself, but as it was now, he was so cold that his cheeks were already bright red. "I shoulda died, Slim. Any farther to the right or to the left and I woulda, no doubt about it."

"Parson called it a miracle too," Slim said as he reflected once more the parson's crazy antics, but more so, on the words that he'd said. He'd thought it was strange, but perhaps, Parson knew more truth than what people gave him credit for.

"Where'd you think I got that word?" Jess chuckled as he shook his head, giving Slim a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Well, what happened down there?" Slim took his hands off of his knee as the rubbing was doing it no good, and he tipped his hat slightly upward so he could better look Jess in the eye when he told his story.

"I wasn't scared to have you let go of me," Jess reflected the incident, the tone of his voice low, as if it needed to be told with a tender quietness. "Of course I knew what was down below all that snow, or at least I thought I did. Anyway, I kinda felt peaceful about what would happen when I hit. As I was dropping through the air, I dunno how best to describe it, but I felt like there were hands on me, guiding my body for the perfect place to land. I hit the snow, but it wasn't hard packed, but soft, and I kept sinking and sinking and just when the snow started coming over my face, like it was gonna smother me, I felt air underneath me again. The snow broke away like it was the waters of the Red Sea being parted and then I felt something hit my side, slowing down my fall and I literally just rolled the rest of the way down, probably thirty or forty feet until I landed softly in a mixture of slush and dirt. I was somewhat dazed, yet, you know me, not being licked by even that, I stood right up to get my bearings and I landed the top of my head on something sharp and dropped to the ground, passed out cold. I dunno how long I was out, but when I came to, it was pitch dark, the hole I'd fallen through had been covered over in snow, and for a moment, I didn't know if I was dead or alive. I figured it out quick enough when I rubbed my hand through my hair and felt the swollen lump. I started hollering for you, but I couldn't hear a dad-gum thing in return. I really had no blamed idea where I was so I began to wander, feeling my way around inside of the mountain."

"I didn't stay around very long on the roadway, Jess," Slim admitted, feeling slightly guilty that he could have missed Jess' calling and put an early end to his grieving if he hadn't headed towards Laramie when he did. "I figured you were gone, and well, I knew I needed to get Robin and Clem out of the snow."

"You did the right thing, Pard," Jess nodded and then looked up towards the tree limbs that were starting to bend lower towards their heads with the heavy weight of the snow. "I woulda done the same if our roles had been reversed, although I probably woulda shot the mountain up a little bit first."

"Your bullets popping off on fragile ground sure would have done a lot of good," Slim said sarcastically with a laugh. "Likely you would have brought the rest of the rocks down on top of your head."

"Seemed like they were that already," Jess answered as he took his hat off to rub his head, only slightly wincing at the tender area when he touched it. "There wasn't much head room in places in that old cave I was in. I held my hands out around me like a blind man, instinctively knowing I needed to climb, so when I felt the ground arc upward, I followed, sometimes walking, sometimes crawling, but always cautious."

Jess paused, replaced his hat on his head just as a clump of snow slipped from the limb directly above them, showering both of their hats with an extra layer of cold. Jess involuntarily shivered, but it hadn't been from the snow that found its way to bare skin down his back. "Slim, I'm gonna admit something to you that I don't usually say out loud and I don't wanna hear you spreading it to everyone we know, course you know iffen you do, I'll probably unload my gun into your hind quarters. But here's the thing, Slim, I was scared. Oh sure, you and I both could admit to being so during times of danger in the past, but this was a different kind. It came from my very core."

Jess paused, watching the expression on Slim's face. Although he knew there would be no laughter coming from his partner at his admission of fear, he was grateful that the eyes didn't even crinkle into a smile, but showed the compassion that Slim had for him. Jess dropped his eyes to the ground, seeing the tracks that they'd made had disappeared with the falling snow and continued to speak, but instead of keeping his eyes on the fading imprints in the snow, he turned his eyes back to the understanding face of Slim.

"I don't know if you've ever been in such a place, but when you're surrounded by complete darkness, not knowing what was beyond the next step, it gets mighty intimidating. It was almost like being buried alive, in a grave with no way out. The more time went by, and I reckon the way time slows down during rough situations it mighta only been a short while, but I honestly began to wonder how I'd ever get outta there alive. You weren't there, no one was there, I was all alone and danged it all, it was Christmas Eve."

The wind was increasing, starting to make a howling noise and they both wondered if their time of safety under the tree was becoming limited. Jess could have ended his retelling about his fearful experience right there with a good enough excuse on the impending threat to stop, but this was Slim he was talking to, a man that was more than a best friend to him, and he deserved the entire story that Jess had to tell, even if Jess continued to show sides of him that wasn't usually seen.

"Being scared ain't something I'm used to and since there was no way I could shoot my way outta that mess, I didn't think there were any answers at all. But then I remembered my Ma, reading the Christmas story outta the Good Book and I remembered that the angel said, 'Fear not' and that got me to thinking that maybe I wasn't alone after all. It wasn't much later that from out of nowhere, I heard a voice start singing. It sure startled the blazes outta me. Even though it wasn't too clear at first, I recognized the song, so I started hurrying towards the sound, singing right back at it, not knowing who it was or what it was, but I knew it could lead to my saving. Once I was right underneath where the sound was coming from, I finally figured out what I was hearing. I reckon no one's probably ever said the parson's got a beautiful voice, but it sure sounded that way to me. Then when that hole got broke free of its snow and ice, seeing the light of day was like seeing an angel in glory."

"I had no idea there was a cave underneath the pass," Slim rubbed his chin, thinking back to when he and his pa scouted the entire area, not recalling ever seeing a mouth of a cave anywhere below where Jess had fallen. "It's possible that there's no ground side opening to it, only the few air holes here and there like the one you fell into and the one we pulled you out of. I guess you know how lucky you are to have found one of them."

"Between you and me, Slim," Jess said softly, "I ain't exactly calling it luck. Iffen I woulda fallen anywhere else, I wouldn't be sitting here beside you, but getting buried by more and more snow. I dunno why, but I reckon God's still watching out for me." He knew what he was, a Christmas miracle, aptly titled by the parson, but felt throughout his being, but especially in Jess' heart. "Well, enough about me," Jess rubbed his arms, trying to bring some warmth to his hands and looked at Slim, "it's your turn."

"My turn?" Slim asked, pointing his finger at himself.

"Yeah," Jess nodded, "you musta been pretty darn close to falling off that snow bank after you let go of me. Ain't you gonna tell me about it?"

"I'd rather forget it," Slim said honestly, but when Jess elbowed him in the ribs, Slim nodded and began to share what happened on his end during their ordeal. "I was able to jump clear and get my hands on solid ground. You were right, Jess, there wasn't any way I could have hauled you up without both of us going down. I don't know if it would have been any different, both of us falling together. Likely we wouldn't have hit the same spot and it might have been me that didn't find that miracle hole you went through."

Slim raised his eyes as the branches of the tree that covered them started loosening more snow and he ducked as a clump dropped to the ground, narrowly missing his upturned face. He turned his eyes back towards Jess. "You saved my life Jess, sacrificing your own like you did for me. You told me this morning that your ma wanted a preacher in the family. Well, you might not wear a collar or carry a Bible, but whether you know it or not or like it or not, you show a lot of what the Good Book says in your actions and deeds. Granted, you're as tough as nails and as mean as a grizzly and could put a scare into the biggest ruffians in the country, but when it all boils down to it Jess Harper, you're a very good man. Your ma would be mighty proud of who you've become. I know I am."

"Aw, Slim," Jess' cheeks somehow turned a shade redder, "I dunno about that. Ma knew what I was and she'd probably still be running after me with her wooden spoon ready to tan my hide, and that's only for the things she knew about. I ain't done all that much that's good."

"I disagree. You have a giving heart, Jess," Slim said as Jess shook his head, "don't deny it. I know it."

"Hey," Jess suddenly frowned, "how'd this get back to me? Ain't you supposed to be telling your side of the story?"

"Yeah," Slim nodded, his voice lowering slightly, knowing what part he needed to cover next, "but there's no leaving you out of the story because in case you've already forgotten, you're the reason I have a story to tell." This next statement that came from Slim's mouth was difficult to say out loud. He'd said it to Mort, but now that it was coming forth again, it seemed to halt for a lengthy minute before he said the words that had pained him the most. "I thought I'd killed you, Jess."

"I woulda never accused you," Jess said truthfully. He looked carefully at Slim's face and saw the shadows of sadness that still lingered around his eyes. He hadn't thought about any consequences that Slim would have endured when he had insisted that Slim release his hand. Now that Jess was hearing the pain in Slim's voice, seeing the sorrow and understanding the guilt made Jess feel drawn even closer to his best friend than ever before.

"I held your life right here," Slim tapped his right palm with the fingers on his left hand, "and then I let you go. When I opened my hand and your hand slipped out of mine, it was like a part of me went down with you. I wanted to save you, Jess, with everything that was in me, I wanted to save you, but I couldn't do it. I now can say with truthfulness, Jess, that I know how you felt when you tried to save your brother and your other family members, but couldn't."

"Yeah," Jess said quietly, his painful remembrance matched the turmoil that came from Slim, "it tears your guts out."

"Forever," Slim said solemnly, knowing that even though Jess was alive, he'd carry that feeling off loss to his grave, just like Jess had carried that emptiness inside of him for greater than ten years and would continue doing so for the rest of his life.

"You've still got me, Pard," Jess put his arm around Slim's shoulder.

"I think it's best to say, we've still got each other," Slim answered with a smile. "I think this just may turn out to be the best Christmas ever."

Before Jess could respond, the wind took a violent turn, bringing Slim and Jess to their feet as multiple limbs on the tree they were underneath began to move. The snow cloaked tree began to sway but instead of the trunk suffering a blow, the tree began to release the pressure that was put on it by letting go of its arms. Loud popping and cracking noises began above their heads as snow began to drop in clumps around them.

The horse panicked, balking at the quivering tree but because the animal was unfamiliar with the soothing voices of Slim and Jess, it tore free from its hold on the limb and pawed the air, the presents attached to its back falling into the snow as it leaped away from the fearful noises out into the open road where it took a wild run back towards Laramie.

"Now what?" Slim asked with his hands on his hips, watching the horse disappear from sight.

"I reckon we walk," Jess said with a shrug, "'cause there ain't no way I'm spending Christmas huddled underneath a rickety old tree."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Darkness came early in winter. When the sun would set in the middle of June, hard workers such as Slim and Jess often were still sweating with the strain and toil of a long day's labor. As the days inched towards the end of December, the same setting sun would find these two men by the fireplace, the day's work already done. It should have been the same on this evening, made even more peaceable that it was Christmas Eve, but the chairs in front of the fireplace remained empty. Slim and Jess weren't home, yet outside, the storm still raged on.

"Aunt Daisy, it's getting dark out. What if Slim and Jess can't make it home?" Mike turned away from the snow splattered window where he'd been pressed against for the past two hours to look at Daisy, feeling as low as he'd felt in many months. "Where do you think they are?"

"Don't be afraid, Mike," Daisy patted her lap, instructing the boy to step away from the window and come to her. When he stepped up to her side, she wrapped her arms around him, and even though he was too big to curl up on her lap, he leaned close to her, putting his head on her shoulder. "Slim and Jess know what to do in all kinds of circumstances, including this storm. Most likely they decided to wait the storm out in town for the night and if that's the case, they are just as safe and snug as we are. Sheriff Cory will probably lasso them into being a part of the nativity scene in the morning, perhaps even be able to talk Jess into putting on some angel wings."

"Jess as an angel. Now that'd be a somethin' to see," Mike chuckled and then his eyes dropped down, the fearful expression returning to his face. "But what if they started home before the storm hit? Then they wouldn't be safe in Laramie at all, but out there somewhere."

"Well," Daisy answered, pausing before she continued, since this was exactly what she feared as well. "If Slim and Jess are out in the thick of all that wind and snow, they'll stay together and find shelter. They won't recklessly risk their lives." Even as Daisy spoke those words to encourage Mike, she wasn't sure she believed them. Slim and Jess, especially Jess, seemed to find a thrill in taking a wild risk. She patted Mike's arm and sighed gently as she added, "in town or in the snow, either way, they'll get home to us as soon as they can."

"But Aunt Daisy," Mike said, not wanting it to sound like he was whining, but he had to continue to implore. "But if they don't come home for tomorrow, there won't be any Christmas."

"It'll still be Christmas, Mike," Daisy said softly, hoping he would understand the meaning of her words.

"But how?" Mike asked, the question mark seemed to hang in the air before he added, "there'll be no presents, no fun, no dinner, no nothing."

"Mike, I know you're young, but I think you're old enough to understand what I'm going to tell you. A long time ago, on that very first Christmas, there weren't any presents wrapped in paper or tied with bows. There weren't any candles lighting a tree. There weren't stockings hung by a fire, or treats hidden in the toes of them. There were no feasts being prepared or anything else that we do today, but it was still Christmas. If Slim and Jess don't come home, it'll be different for sure, but it will still be Christmas tomorrow."

"I guess," Mike tightened his brows together and then relaxed them as he looked in Daisy's calm face, "I guess I understand. But I still can't help but think about the presents that Slim and Jess were going to town to get."

"I suppose that's partly my fault Mike," Daisy said softly, cupping her hand under Mike's chin. "I shouldn't have mentioned that word when I was asking Slim and Jess about them this morning. There are presents that I have hidden here that will be under the tree in the morning and don't forget that Santa Claus knows about a young boy here at the Sherman ranch and certainly has something in his marvelous sack for him."

"I s'pose I shouldn't be thinking about presents when Slim and Jess could be," Mike turned a fearful eye towards the window, "out there."

"I'll tell you something, Mike," Daisy rubbed the child's back comfortingly. "Christmas isn't all about the presents. Sure, it's a wonderful thing to give and to receive, but what's most important is that the real gift was given to us all those years ago, wrapped up in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. So you see, even if some people don't have any presents to unwrap on Christmas day, there'll always be a gift in our hearts. And that gift doesn't stop there. It's continued to be given in the form of love from season to season. You are showing love right now in the way you're concerned about Slim and Jess. I am too. All three of you have a special place inside of my heart and you all give me special gifts every single day. It's love, Mike. Love is a present that has no end and it was there right from the very beginning. Never doubt the power of the perfect present."

"I s'pose I don't really care about the presents anymore," Mike said as he wandered back towards the window. "I don't even want Santa Claus to come. I just want Slim and Jess to come home, that's the only present that I want under the tree for Christmas."

xxx

"I wish we didn't have to use these Christmas presents," Slim said as he still stood partially underneath the tree that they'd stayed beneath until the horse was spooked. He put Mike's new, thick woolen socks over his hands, pulling them up nearly to his elbows. He put his gloves on over the top of the socks and then wrapped a scarf that had Mike's initials sewed in a corner around his neck.

"I know," Jess nodded, wrapping one of Daisy's gifts, a heavy winter shawl over his hat and around his ears. "We ain't got a choice, though. Without using these gifts to help keep us warm, we'll be goners for sure." Jess folded a bright colored patchwork quilt that was to top Daisy's bed and tucked it into his shirt.

"Here, Jess," Slim handed him half of a peppermint stick after Jess finished enclosing his coat over the newer layer. The other half that remained in Slim's gloved hand he put to his mouth and clamped his teeth onto and watched as Jess did the same with his. "The sugar will help keep us going. We'll share the other stick in another hour or so."

"It's getting so dad-blamed dark out," Jess frowned as he worked the peppermint stick around his mouth. "If we ain't careful we might get off course real easy. The snow's so thick I can't see a few feet in front of us anyway and now we're about to lose what little light we had left."

"We'll have to stay close together," Slim said, trying to ignore the pain in his knee but it was nearly impossible to push through the snow without it giving him an agonizing jolt with each step.

"You ain't gonna be moving very fast with that leg," Jess pointed to Slim's slow progress.

"You aren't exactly sprinting yourself," Slim responded, bringing a smile to each other's lips. "Maybe if you walk in front of me, breaking a path through the snow, I can make it more easily."

"I can do that, Pard," Jess nodded, sliding his body to be directly in front of Slim. He looked up at the rapidly darkening sky, his face getting coated in snow and then he stuck his peppermint coated tongue out and licked the snow from around his mouth.

"Are you going to play or walk?" Slim asked, and then did the same with his mouth. The snowflakes tingled on his tongue with the peppermint and for a brief second he felt like a kid Mike's age again.

"All right, I'm going," Jess nodded, not missing the fact that Slim had followed his example. Jess took a deep breath and then slowly started forward, pushing as much snow with his legs aside to help give Slim an easier stride.

But what Jess couldn't see, was that his path was starting to take a turn in the wrong direction, leading him off course. The sky was turning darker as the snow fell harder and the two friends were on a path that would take them to a place best defined as lost.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"Mike, would you like to help me in the kitchen?" Daisy asked, trying to get the youngster's mind off of his worries. She was hoping the work would aid with her own. "You can help with the popcorn."

"Sure, Aunt Daisy," Mike answered without his usual enthusiasm. "Whatcha need popcorn for?"

"I'm going to coat the popped kernels with melted sugar and roll them into balls. They'll be the perfect treat to nibble on later this evening," Daisy answered, grateful that Mike was now by her side and not pressed to the window anymore. The scene outside was becoming more frightful with every minute, especially since there was little light left to be seen anywhere.

Mike dutifully watched the popping corn as Daisy stirred together the sugar mixture and as soon as it was ready, she had Mike dump the plumped kernels into a large bowl and she poured the sugar coating over the top, stirring rapidly to mix everything in the bowl together.

"All right, Mike," Daisy smiled after the popcorn had cooled enough to touch, "you can help me form them into balls. Watch how I do it and then you try."

Daisy and Mike worked side by side until the last kernel of corn remained, and this was placed inside of a mouth, bringing a smile to his lips. Time, at least for a few minutes, passed by more cheerfully, but the sounds of the storm couldn't completely be forgotten.

"Mine aren't as neat as yours," Mike examined the tray of formed popcorn balls, seeing the contrast between Daisy's perfectly shaped batch and Mike's not as round pile. "This one's the worst, I think," he poked one with his finger as Daisy stepped away to wash her hands clean, "it sort of looks like a wooly lamb. Should I just toss it out?"

"No, no, Mike," Daisy turned and glanced at the lump of popcorn that Mike was referencing and smiled. It did have the odd shape of a sheep that hadn't yet been sheared. "We'll keep them all. Besides, sheep have their own place at Christmas."

"I know, because of the shepherds," Mike answered after licking the spoon. "Adam Tolliver's pa has a part in Sheriff Cory's nativity, he's a shepherd, but Adam told me that he didn't wanna have a sheep with him, so he's gonna use that curly haired dog that hangs out in back of the hotel. Prob'ly won't be the same, though."

Mike took the sheep shaped popcorn and set it on the table, prancing it along the surface as he let his imagination take him to a place where there wasn't fear of storms or dark memories. Daisy had no knowledge what went on inside of his head, but as she looked at Mike engrossed in his game, Daisy smiled, glad that the popcorn making experience turned out to be more of a distraction than she'd first planned.

Daisy walked to the desk where the lamp glowed, picked it up and then set it carefully in the windowsill. She didn't know how far out the light would shine, but if there was any chance that her two men were still out there somewhere in the storm trying to get home, perhaps the light would help guide them to safety. She had a strange feeling that they weren't safe in Laramie like she'd suggested to Mike, and this was her small token to help ease her mind, like Mike and his funny shaped popcorn ball.

"Run fast, little lamb," Mike spoke to his popcorn toy, scooting it across the table, it only being natural given the circumstances that he was placing his toy in a similar situation that his fearful mind had placed Slim and Jess. "Don't be afraid just because you're lost. If you look really hard, you'll find a sign to point you home." At that moment, the house shook with a strong gust of wind. Becoming startled, Mike dropped his lamb on the floor. Circling around trying to see it, his foot found it first, the crunch indication enough that the lamb was no more.

"Oh, no," Mike frowned as he kneeled over the popcorn ball that was now in pieces on the floor. "I broke the lamb."

"Don't worry about it, Mike," Daisy said, stepping away from the window as she retied her apron strings, "I'll clean it up in a minute."

Mike sighed, feeling despair, but there was significance in that crumbled popcorn that Mike couldn't understand. What once looked like a lamb, its broken pieces lying on the floor, now had the shape of a cross.

xxx

Jess dropped his hands to his knees, taking in several deep breaths as he waited for Slim to catch up to him. He'd guessed that he'd traveled only as far as a mile, but with the exertion from wading through the deep snow, it felt like he'd ran the entire twelve mile distance from Laramie to home without stopping. Jess stood back up when Slim approached him and Jess waited until his partner caught his breath before he continued the taxing effort of going onward.

"Something feels wrong," Slim said as Jess motioned with his hand that they'd rested long enough.

"Your knee?" Jess asked, reaching a hand out to steady Slim in case his leg was about to give way and drop him down into the snow.

"No," Slim shook his head and pointed towards his right, not knowing what direction they were facing. "Our trail seems off somehow."

"I reckon I coulda missed a turn somewhere," Jess turned around, looking in every direction. "I can't see hardly a thing. We gotta be on a road, 'cause there's a definite span of ground that's unobstructed by trees and such. What do you wanna do?"

"The only thing we can," Slim straightened up, realizing he'd been leaning into a snow bank, resting his knee. "Keep going."

Jess hadn't gone much further before he too sensed the beginning feeling of being disoriented. It would have happened even if he was standing outside of the ranch house, knowing its security was only steps away, but he was far from that safe haven. The hour of complete darkness was only minutes away, but it was intensified by the thick snow that fell from the sky, making the entire landscape like it was exactly the same, but what lay ahead could be dangerously different. Part of Jess wanted to turn around and search for another route, but the other part of him told him that turning back would be a mistake, so he followed what was most sensible and kept moving forward. After another hundred grueling steps, Jess wiped the snow from his eyelashes and looked up, finally being able to see something stark white take shape against the black and snow spattered sky.

"Hey," Jess shouted as he turned towards Slim, barely making out his silhouette even though he was only ten feet away. "I know where we are! We were headed in the wrong direction all right." Jess waited until Slim was beside him before he further explained, pointing above him. "Look at that tree. It's the one that got struck by lightning in August, burning it up until what was left looked like a cross. With this raging storm in front of my face I barely noticed it until I was at the foot of the cross."

"So we're on the road that winds up towards the falls," Slim said, staring up at the tree that pointed its arms out like a sign pointing towards home. "At least we know where we are now. It should be fairly easy to connect back to the main road from here, but it also tells us we're still three miles from the house."

Jess turned to look at his partner, hearing the weary sound in his voice and saw that it matched the expression on his face as he laid a hand on his injury. Slim was pushing himself beyond his limits with the wrenching pain that tore through his knee with every movement, making the exhaustion even more evident in the tightly pinched lines over his forehead and around his mouth. Jess could tell by the look in Slim's eyes that he was wondering if he could make it another three miles, but Jess wouldn't even question it.

"We're gonna make it, Pard," Jess said, the determination sounding stronger in his voice than it was before. "See the sign? We were saved by the cross, now we just gotta believe we're gonna make it home."

Slim stood up straighter and put his hand on Jess' shoulder and gave a resolute nod. They both took one look back at the tree that showed them the way and then they started out once more.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Remember what you said last year?" Slim asked near Jess' ear as the gusty winds and swirling snow made it difficult to hear each other.

"I musta said thousands of different things last year," Jess nudged Slim for him to keep moving, even though it was getting more difficult to do so. "Gimme a hint."

"After everyone left last Christmas Eve, you said, "'it's getting so a man can hardly live through them,' meaning Christmases."

"I gotta stop being so prophetical," Jess answered with a grin.

"How'd you ever learn that word?" Slim asked, not even trying to hide the bewildered sound that came through his question.

"I heard it someplace, but don't ask me to spell it," Jess answered with a shrug as he slid down a slight embankment of snow. He turned and helped Slim down the slope, grimacing along with Slim when he put his foot down on the ground.

The wind made Jess bend low as he went forward, trying to stay upright. He knew the gusts were even harder for Slim to handle, but there was nothing else to do but press on. He continued forward with rugged determination, hoping that Slim's attitude matched his own, but when the hour turned one later, Jess could sense the struggle coming from Slim, who had steadily slowed down during the past thirty minutes.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep up," Slim stopped in the snow, dropped his hands to his knee, his breathing heavy and labored.

"You can't stop, Slim," Jess turned back in the snow until he reached Slim and encouraged him by putting his hand on his friend's back. "We'll freeze to death if we don't keep moving."

"I know," Slim straightened up. Every time he put his foot forward he couldn't help but groan with the pain that had been steadily growing. The rest of his body felt numb from the cold, which made the throbbing of his knee even harder to tolerate, making the awkward steps extremely difficult to manage.

"Come on," Jess took Slim by the arm, "lean on me."

"No, Jess," Slim shook his head as he pulled his arm out of Jess' grasp. "I'll only make your walking more strenuous. Just stay right ahead of me, breaking a trail like you've been doing. I'll make it."

"All right, Pard," Jess conceded, starting forward again, "don't get too far behind me. I can only see a few feet in either direction."

Jess pushed forward, taking his steps firmly and steadily, turning with every few steps to make sure Slim was still behind him. He started to sink further in the snow and struggled to make his way on a slightly different route to help Slim make it and as he fought the deeper levels of snow, he failed to turn to check on Slim. Jess felt the ground become more level and he breathed easier, thinking he must have taken a step into a ditch and now that he was glad to be on straighter ground again, he started to pick up his pace.

"I reckon I feel like a train, plowing forward, pushing everything outta my way. Since you're all the way in the back, that must make you the caboose, right Slim? Slim?" Jess quickly turned around but couldn't see Slim's outline anymore. "Slim! Answer me!"

There was nothing but the wind and snow that answered. Jess turned all around, looking in every direction, but the same scene met his face. He whistled, but the tempest blew the sound away as soon as it left his lips. Jess felt the thump of fear hit his chest but he pushed it away, not wanting to even think that a separation in this storm could mean death for both of them. Jess knelt towards the snow that was now over his knees, looking for any marks in the snow that indicated that Slim had wandered off course, but couldn't see any specific marking. He walked through the path that he'd already created, calling Slim's name, but couldn't hear any response, either because Slim couldn't call out in return, or like his high pitched whistle, the shrieking winds were destroying his call before it reached his ears.

Jess hurried as quickly as he could over the terrain he'd already gone through, searching with every one of his senses. When he started to stray away from his own trail, he circled around, unsure of any direction as the feeling of being lost struggled to overpower the worry that pounded in his temples. He desperately cried out Slim's name and in the midst of the swirling white, he thought he saw something move. Wiping the snow from his face he blinked rapidly, but whatever he'd seen was no longer there. He hurried in that direction anyway, taking his feet farther away from the original path line that he'd made by wading through the snow.

After walking for a few feet he stopped, the fear that he wouldn't find Slim pulling himself to a standstill. Jess cupped his hands over his mouth and gave a mighty shout, "SLIM!" With nothing but the wind meeting his ears, he shook his head hard and took another step forward when his leg brushed against something soft that wasn't snow, but something alive. "Slim!"

Jess kneeled in the snow and rolled Slim over. He'd been face down in the icy whiteness, his teeth chattering so hard that Jess could hear the sound through the wind. Jess touched Slim's face and his eyes fluttered open, but what he saw in them was no longer determination, but defeat. Jess started to brush as much snow as he could from Slim's jacket, but before he could finish, Slim brought a shaky hand up to Jess' arm to stop him.

"I'm sorry, Jess," Slim barely spoke above a whisper, "I just can't go on. Leave me here, Jess. Save yourself. Get home to Daisy and Mike."

"Sounds like you're borrowing my speech from this morning," Jess pulled his arm from Slim's weak grip and opened his jacket and pulled the folded quilt away from his abdomen. "Only this time I'm on the other side of things and I ain't gonna listen."

Jess opened the quilt to its maximum width and dropped it over Slim's body and then with every ounce of strength that rippled through the muscles in his arms and back, he picked Slim up out of the snow and draped him over his shoulder. Jess staggered with Slim's weight, but he managed to put one foot in front of the other until he felt that he was back on course with the road.

"Don't do it, Jess," Slim groaned near his ear, his voice getting quieter as he spoke with a labored breath. "Let me go."

"I've got you, Pard," Jess answered even though it was difficult to speak as he trudged forward, "and I ain't gonna let you go."

To force them from chattering, Jess gritted his teeth together until his jaw hurt as he struggled to walk, not knowing how long he'd be able to keep his body upright with Slim's weight added to his back. He moved slowly through the snow, his aim in more of a straight line than following the road that he could no longer discern in the darkness. Every time the ground shifted beneath him, he feared he was going to collapse, but the snow packed ground supported him as he continued to carry Slim and he moved onward, repeatedly telling himself that they were going to make it home.

"You've sure got a stubborn, hard head," Slim said groggily, bringing a half smile to Jess' face.

"No more than you, Hard Rock," Jess answered, shifting Slim's position slightly to help keep the quilt from falling over his eyes. Even though he couldn't see much in front of him, he still didn't want to be blindly walking forward, especially now that he carried Slim's life on his shoulders.

Suddenly Jess felt Slim's arm go limp against his back and knew that Slim had passed out and the worry that he'd felt before kicked into high gear. He gave Slim a jolt near his injured knee to wake him, but it only brought a small groan from his mouth as it formed his name. Jess knew the dangers that came from the brutal cold and unconsciousness, but jostling Slim as he struggled to keep walking wasn't keeping his partner awake long enough to do any good. He moved faster, knowing that every step he took was vital for Slim's life. Jess shook Slim's leg but instead of an awaking reaction, he felt Slim start to slide off of his shoulder and Jess was powerless to stop his partner from falling into the snow.

"Slim," Jess kneeled down beside Slim and patted his cheeks, but only received a low noise coming through Slim's mouth in response. "Dadgummit Slim, you can't give up on me now."

Jess wiped his hand roughly over his face, knowing that his strength was gone. He'd carried Slim as far as he could and unless Slim aroused soon, this unknown place was the end of the line for both of them. As long as Slim stayed unconscious, Jess would remain by his side. Jess would not leave Slim alone, no matter what this storm lashed at them next.

Jess' hands moved quickly as he tucked the quilt tightly around Slim's body and then yanked the shawl from his head and wrapped it close to Slim's face, leaving only his eyes, nose and mouth exposed. He couldn't do much, but at least he could make his partner as warm as he possibly could, for however long it was necessary, even if he had to use every last piece of his own coverings to do so.

The wind took a violent howl, nearly tearing Jess' hat off of his head in the process and Jess abruptly rose to his feet. He faced the wind and swirling snowflakes as if he were facing a gunfighter ready for a fierce fight. His stance even spread to the right distance, but his hand didn't go for his gun, but balled into a fist towards the sky. He should have been shaking, the cold was enough to course shivers through the strongest of men, but Jess stood rigid as his body pumped warmth through his body from one single source. His body language showed intense anger, but his eyes showed intense love and it was this life giving source that kept his feet planted and the warm blood flowing through his veins.

The elements of the world could give a tremendous fight. He'd already fought and lost the greatest conflict against the worst opponent possible, fire. Although that death battle was brought on by an evil set of hands, the fight was still against something far beyond anyone's power to control. This snow that Jess now faced could strangely compare, with its freezing touch like embers coming from the sky, burning in different ways, yet still holding the ability to kill. He didn't want to think that he was about to lose another loved one to nature's fury, but the possibility lay before him like the snow that blanketed for miles in every direction and its knowledge struck him with a forceful blow to not only his outward, physical body, but sent a pain deep into his core.

Jess felt the agonizing fear course through his body for the second time that day. His near fatal fall into the cave earlier suddenly seemed like an entire year had passed and not the few hours that it had been, but the gentle peace he'd felt during his harrowing journey no longer existed. It was easy to forget that presence, that peace, for now it wasn't only his life on the line, but if Jess had stilled his heart, he would have realized that what was with him then, was still with him now. His body, mind and soul were filled with his partner, because Slim was all that mattered, just like the beginning of the terrible rock slide when Jess kept his focus on the team of horses, trying to get them through.

Jess had done everything to ensure Slim's survival, going as far as sacrificing his own life to save his partner from death. In doing so, Jess had been spared by mercy or miracle, or whatever word that he could use to describe his close call. Surely he hadn't saved Slim and escaped his own death that morning just to be powerless to save his partner again and then be forced to watch Slim succumb to his own death that night. Jess stood still, his fighting stance starting to wane as he stared out at the black and white earth.

Jess turned around, dropping a knee into the snow beside Slim. He put his hands on Slim's body, his head dropping over Slim's face so that his partner was fully protected from the falling snow. A memory flashed into his head of how he'd knelt over the remains of his family and he cried out in anguish, the pain coming back into his heart with violence as if that hellacious day was happening all over again. In a way, it was.

"I tried to save you, Slim," Jess said, mirroring his thoughts about his little brother so long ago, which in tender truth, was the exact feeling that bled from his brother Slim's heart that very morning. "I tried to save you," his words made him shudder enough that the quivering was passed through his hands into Slim's covered body. That movement, along with the added layers and Jess' hovering body began to provide needed warmth that began to stir a slumbering soul.

Slim groaned, the sound coming out of his lips with a wisp of air that curled a scent around Jess' nose. Peppermint! Jess' hands were immediately on Slim's coat, reaching into every pocket until his gloved hand wrapped around what he was looking for. He pulled out the remaining stick of peppermint and slid it through Slim's parted lips, the sugar starting to dissolve as soon as it met his tongue. Jess watched Slim's mouth twitch and then his head moved and Jess put his hands on Slim's shoulders and gave him a firm shake.

"Wake up, Slim," Jess shouted sharply near Slim's ear. "You ain't gonna make me bury you under all this snow, are you?"

"Jess?" Slim answered, his eyes opened and then blinked as snowflakes brushed his lashes. "Where am I?"

"I ain't got the foggiest idea," Jess answered, his face full with a smile as he rejoiced to see the blue eyes of his partner, "or maybe I should say I ain't got the snowiest of ideas."

"What happened?" Slim sat up groggily, his hand instantly reaching out to Jess.

"You fell asleep or passed out," Jess explained, wrapping his hand around Slim's outstretched palm. "The sugar in the peppermint musta been enough to arouse you. Good thing, too, or I mighta started pounding my fist alongside your jaw."

"Now I'm more than ever thankful for the peppermint," Slim said, working his jaw as if it hurt with the thought that Jess could have struck him in an attempt to wake him.

"Who knew you'd go to extreme lengths for something sweet?" Jess teased, the smile reaching to his eyes.

"Me," Slim laughed, feeling stronger and warmer, and he suddenly realized why. "Jess, why am I covered in this quilt and have Daisy's shawl around my face?"

"To keep you alive," Jess shrugged like it hadn't been any big deal to offer his layers of warmth to Slim, even though in doing so he was putting himself at a higher risk of hypothermia, "what else?"

"When are you ever going to stop sacrificing yourself for me?" Slim asked, his voice tender with emotion.

"As long as you need me to," Jess answered. Self sacrifice had been a driving factor in Jess' life since his fifteenth year. He'd always felt he'd failed his family on that horrific day, so when he'd been given a new family to love, he'd vowed to give until there wasn't anything left to give. He would give his life for Slim, for all of his friends and family, again and again if need be, because that's what love did. And love, Jess knew, was what made Christmas truly Christmas.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The snow had been coming down furiously since late morning and now it was well into the dark hours of the evening with no sign that the snow was going to quit anytime soon. It was blinding, taunting, obstinate, and menacingly cruel. It wanted to steal a life, wanted to stop Christmas, wanted to take away courage and strength, but it could accomplish none of these things. The life would survive, Christmas would still come no matter what happened, courage and strength might get tested, but never become fully defeated. Yet, despite these truths, hopelessness still hung thick in the air around Slim and Jess.

"What are we going to do?" Slim asked as he huddled in the snow. He looked up at Jess, who stood staring out into the constant blindness of the storm. He bit down on the peppermint, the strong flavor aiding in regaining his strength but he knew that the candy could do nothing about the pain that still gripped his knee, preventing him from trudging onward in the snow beside Jess.

"I don't know, Slim," Jess answered truthfully, not turning to look at Slim, but kept his eyes focused on the falling snow in front of his face. "I ain't gonna leave you here alone, I know that much for sure, but beyond that, I dunno. I've been saying it all day long that I ain't licked, but if something don't happen soon, I'm gonna have to admit it."

"I think I was licked sometime this morning," Slim groaned as he stretched his leg out in front of him.

"I wonder how many miracles a man gets to have in one day," Jess wondered, his voice quiet in thought.

"I suppose it depends on the one performing the miracles," Slim answered, bringing a definite shrug to Jess' shoulders.

"I reckon, but I …" Jess paused, suddenly growing rigid, his whole body instantly alert.

"What is it, Jess?" Slim asked, the concern for Jess' sudden tension brought enough adrenaline into his veins to pull himself to his feet to stand beside his partner.

"I don't know," Jess answered, staring into the darkness, looking and listening as intently as he'd ever done. "It sounds like a song." The wind still roared, but the music notes that Jess heard weren't muted by the storm, but seemed to be enhanced by the humming, swirling air.

"Piano…" Slim barely breathed the word as the noise entered his ears, his mind being drawn back to the minutes after he'd thought he'd let Jess fall to his death.

"I dunno, Slim," Jess shook his head, "it sounds more like a voice to me, at least a melody of some sort."

"I just remembered I heard it earlier," Slim said, his eyes going to the sky, trying to figure out where the music came from. "It's the same song that the parson sang. I was so numb with grief I didn't realize it until now."

"Dad-gum, it is the same song," Jess shook his head, trying to understand the familiarity. "Well for sure the parson ain't out there singing now. This sounds a lot prettier too, like a … like an …"

"An angel," Slim finished for Jess, bringing that gentle feeling of peace back into Jess' heart, matching what was growing inside of Slim as well as the instruction to 'Fear Not' being sealed inside of their souls. "Jess," Slim put his hand on his partner's arm. "Do you suppose the parson really did hear an angel sing?"

"I was singing," Jess tapped his chest and then quickly added, "but I can't make music like that."

"Then it must be," Slim's voice trailed off, mesmerized by the harmony on high.

Jess gave an awestruck look at Slim and then cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, reminiscent of the parson's bellows earlier in the day and how Jess had answered in reply, "Hark!"

Unlike the noise that boomed back and forth off the mountain and its crevices below when the parson danced in glee with his serenading angel, there was no echo in reply to Jess' call. The song continued, both lyrical and musical at the same time, like it wasn't just proclaiming glory, but the true peace and mercy that came with the truth in its words was pointing them the way they should go.

"I reckon we should follow it," Jess said, putting his arm around Slim to help him walk. "I followed it this morning and it led me outta darkness. Now, I feel it's leading us home."

The music didn't change as they walked, but stayed still, like the Biblical star in the east that stayed over Bethlehem without changing or moving, leading the wise men to where the baby lay. It played, sometimes like a chorus of voices, other times like a soloist, but it sustained them, carried them, directed them, and soon they knew by the familiarity, even in the darkness of the snow covered land, that home was drawing close.

"Slim, look!" Jess exclaimed at the same moment that Slim saw what Jess was pointing at. A light, a solitary glow in the snow, seemed to dance in rhythm with the ongoing music, not even blurred by the ever falling flakes from the sky.

"Home," Slim said the word like it was something treasured, and in truth, especially at that moment, it was.

Jess increased his pace and with the encouragement of the light, Slim kept his partner's stride, pushing through the snow side by side as the golden orb became larger with every step. When they began to slide downhill, the light started making the structure it poured out of to life, bringing excited grins to both men's faces like they were little boys ready to pounce on their Christmas presents. They were home.

"We made it, Pard," Slim breathed heavily as they steadily approached the door. "I couldn't have done it without you." Slim paused, his thoughts latching onto his last two words. "Without you. Today that almost became my reality."

"I almost lost you too, remember," Jess nudged Slim as the light from the house shone over their exhausted faces. "But the truth is, Slim, neither of us coulda made it without someone else."

"An angel," Slim nodded, looking up towards the sky where the music flowed over the house.

"And singing, and God," Jess added, his face full with smiles, "and Parson, and Mort, and…"

"Now you're sounding like Parson again," Slim touched Jess' hat so that the snow flaked off over Jess' face.

"I ain't complaining," Jess gently slapped Slim's hand away from his hat. "I reckon I've got some crazy antics somewhere inside of me, too. Besides, it ain't everyone that gets to hear angels like us and the parson."

They stopped at the door, Jess' hand stayed still on the knob before he turned it. He looked at Slim and for the first time that day, felt a lump form in his throat. Christmastime was supposed to be emotional, he would reason with himself that his smarting eyes were due to the holiday and the biting cold, but deep in his heart he knew, it was because he loved his brother and his brother loved him, at Christmas and all year long.

"Merry Christmas, Pard," Jess held his hand out for Slim to shake and when Slim placed his hand in Jess', he put another arm around Slim, and the friends turned brothers gave each other a warm embrace.

"Merry Christmas, Jess," Slim said, wiping the corner of his eye. "You said this morning that you gave me an empty box. If you weren't joshing me and that's true, right now I wouldn't mind one bit, for everything I could ever want for Christmas is right here. Come on, Jess, let's go in."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Slim! Jess!" Mike shouted at the top of his lungs. "Aunt Daisy! It's Slim and Jess! They're home!"

Daisy ran from the kitchen, her hands on her cheeks as her tears started to spill, but the grin on her face showed that there was no sadness, only immense relief. "I was so afraid you weren't going to make it."

"We wondered that some ourselves," Jess said as he wriggled free from Mike's tight grip and watched as the boy bounded towards Slim. "Careful with Slim, Tiger, he's a might banged up."

"Oh, Slim, are you hurt badly?" Daisy's eyes instinctively went to Slim's knee by the way he put most of his weight on his opposite leg.

"It's not too bad, Daisy," Slim said as Daisy quickly ushered Slim into the chair by the blazing fire. "It'll be fine now that I'm home."

Daisy examined Slim, giving him a careful probing touch, she then proclaimed that the injury wasn't severe but instructed him to keep the wound elevated for the rest of the evening. Slim, although grateful for Daisy's pampering care, after a while of warming and recuperating, he decided he'd take a lesson from Jess' usual reaction to medical instructions. When Daisy dashed into her room to work on the "secrets" that she had whispered in his ear, Slim was back on his feet again, limping, but up sampling the goodies that Daisy had placed around the kitchen.

After Slim vacated the seat closest to the fireplace, Jess sat down in his chair, propping his feet up close to the fire, the warmth covering him like a comforting embrace. He leaned back, feeling content, and closed his eyes but soon fluttered them open when a popcorn ball hit his chest. He wrapped his hand around it and looked at Slim who stood nearby, leaning against a chair with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Thanks, Pard," Jess held the sugary popcorn to his mouth, ready to take a bite, "now I don't gotta get up to get one myself."

Jess put the popcorn ball to his lips and watched as Slim frowned and then turned towards the kitchen. With Slim's back to him, Jess hurled the popcorn into the air, hitting Slim between the shoulders. He whirled around, a wide grin on his face as he picked the popcorn up from the ground and sent it flying back in Jess' direction. Catching it with both hands, Jess jumped from his chair and charged after Slim who limped towards the kitchen to get a handful of ammunition. Soon Mike followed and all three hurled popcorn balls all around the house.

"Boys!" Daisy came running from her bedroom where she was putting Mike's stocking gifts together and put her hands to her mouth as she saw the sugar coated popcorn flying back and forth through the house. She started to reprimand, saying, "there are real snowballs outside," but the more she watched the happy scene, grateful that they were all home and safe, she started to giggle until rounds of laughter burst from her throat, making her three boys join her in exuberant merry mirth together as the popcorn balls flew throughout the room.

Jess dodged a shot from Slim but took one in the thigh from Mike and he rolled across the floor, gathering enough return fire to keep Slim and Mike pinned behind the table. Daisy picked up a chunk of popcorn that rolled to a stop near her feet and tossed it at an unsuspecting Jess who turned sharply in her direction to see her wink. He smiled, feeling like he was back at home, but, Jess realized, this was home now and it was more perfect than he could ever imagine a home could be. He saw Mike gently tackle Slim, avoiding his injured knee, and rushed over to claim victory.

"I give up, I give up!" Slim laughed as he lay on the floor with Mike sitting on his chest while Jess threatened to dump an armful of popcorn on his head. "I guess we're never too old for tomfoolery, right Jess?"

"You got that right, Pard," Jess answered with a wink.

"My goodness," Daisy patted her throat as her swells of laughter started to subside and then she leaned over to pick up a wayward piece of popcorn near her feet. "I haven't had that much fun in a long time. There are more snowballs outside than one could ever imagine, but I guess it would never do to have that kind of fight inside, but I'm not sure it did these goodies much good."

"Don't you worry none about it, Daisy," Jess said as he held two large popcorn balls in his hands. "I'm not particular. I'll eat 'em, dirt and all!" To prove his point, he stuffed a good portion of the treat in his mouth and removed a large bite from its side with his teeth. "Best I ever ate!"

"All right," Daisy chuckled, as Slim and Mike started eating their share of the popcorn. "Get it all picked up off of the floor while I finish up in my room with something I'm working on and then I'll get out the fudge."

"Fudge," Slim, Mike and Jess said in unison, although from Mike it came out as a question, from Slim it came out rather dreamily as he elongated the word, but from Jess it was a loud exclamation.

With a large portion of the sweet treats devoured, it was nearing time to retire for the night as Mike knew he needed to crawl under his covers and wait for the magic of Christmas Eve to turn into the excitement of Christmas morning. Daisy opened the desk drawer and pulled out the Sherman family Bible, and called Mike by her side.

"Before you go to bed, I'm going to read the Christmas story," Daisy opened the Book and turned the pages to the proper place. "I decided it was just as fitting tonight as tomorrow since Slim and Jess made it home together safely. We have much to be thankful for this Christmas."

Slim and Jess looked at each other and shared a smile, as they hadn't told Daisy the entire story yet, she didn't know just how close they'd come several times at not coming home together at all. Being thankful was a sentiment that would carry them throughout Christmas day and several days beyond. Daisy started retelling the story, capturing the attention of the young boy with the truth of the blessed birth.

Jess walked to the window, leaned down on the couch and looked out at the deep snow. He couldn't see much beyond the soft glow that the lamp cast from the window, but as he listened to Daisy tell the Christmas story to Mike, the very same words, with the same loving tone in her voice as his Ma had shared so many years ago, for perhaps the first time in the same amount of time, he felt the truth enter his heart. Jess smiled, watching the snow coming down in a more gentle tone and from somewhere on high, the soft tinkling notes of a melody still played with a host of angelic voices in the heavens.

THE END

A few notes: "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" was written by Charles Wesley. It first appeared in 1739 in the collection _Hymns and Sacred Poems_. The popular version known today and presumably in Laramie's time frame was altered by various hands, most notably by Wesley's co-worker, George Whitefield. The parson's rendition of the song is truly the parson's, or, uh… mine.

Even though this story is based in season three, I borrow the character of the parson from season four's episode, Gun Duel. He was credited as Parson Hawks, but after watching the episode, I only heard the Laramie characters address him as "Parson" (the name) and _the parson_ (presumably an occupation) so I decided that was the only name I was going to give him. Somehow, adding a last name doesn't look as good in print, maybe that's just me though. Anyway, I found his character most interesting and I hope I wrote him fairly accurately.

One of the first recipes for popcorn balls was printed in an 1861 cookbook, although it is likely that the treat existed long before the first publishing of its ingredients. During the Civil War, newspaper articles began to circulate with variations on the first popcorn ball recipe, called sugar balls and corn balls, but all included some form of sugar, molasses being the most common form, being poured over the popped kernels before being rolled into balls. In my research I found several accounts of people telling about their great-great grandparents making popcorn balls every year for Christmas and I'm deciding that Mrs. Harper and then later, Daisy, was one of those who shared in this tradition with her family, although the "snowball" fight likely isn't involved in every household!

To all of my readers and all Laramie fans out there, I hope you have a very blessed and merry Christmas. May God grant you peace and a true gift that doesn't come from a package wrapped in pretty paper, but one that comes from the heart. Merry Christmas! CW


End file.
